Illegal Logging Is Taking Place In Sre Noy Commune, Siem Reap Province

By Sav Yuth
7th May 2008
Radio Free Asia
Translated by Khmerization

Many villagers said that illegal loggings are actively taking place in Sre Noy commune, Varin district, 70 km west of the provincial capital of Siem Reap, with the company in question using big chainsaws to cut down the trees.

People living in Andong Chan village, Sre Noy commune who were hired by the company to cut down the trees have told Radio Free Asia on the 6th of May that there were 6 electric chainsaws that were installed there to cut down the trees and the authorities seemed not too keen to intervene. They said that every afternoon, timbers were transported in big trucks to the provincial town of Siem Reap. On villager said: “There were 6 big chainsaws. I was hired to cut down the trees everyday. They said that they got the permits from the government to cut down the trees.”

The people who live in Sre Not commune said that loggings were committed by local officials, the army and forestry officials and that, presently, there are many timber mills which have been built in the areas.

Despite such accusations, many government officials are refusing to comment on this matter.

Mr Sou Phirin, governor of Siem Reap province, said that in relations to this sort of logging it is not the responsibility of the provincial authority and has diverted the questions to the forestry officials. He said: “It is beyond the responsibility of the provincial authority. Please direct your questions to the forestry officials.”

A Sre Noy communal forestry official , Mr. Tith Vi, did not wish to comment in details about the mater. He just said the company which carried out the logging had official permits to cut down the trees. He said: “I am a bit busy. You can ask someone else. But this company has official permit to clear the forest to make way for a rubber plantation.”

As for Mr. Tea Kim Soth, deputy chairman of the Siem Reap provincial department of forestry, said that a company named Samrong Rubber has the permits to clear 10,000 hectares of forests to make way for a rubber plantation and that all the trees in those lands must be cleared. Mr. Tea Kim Soth said: “Samrong Rubber has the permits to clear 10,000 hectares of the forests to make way for a rubber plantation. So it has to cut down the trees but all the timbers will be processed and all the revenues will be paid into the state treasury.”

Mr. Son Chhay, a member of parliament from an opposition Sam Rainsy Party, called a policy of forest concessions as a policy of national destruction. He said: “We consider these actions as a national robbery with the involvements of the government. Those businessmen conspired with the government. They did not commission any study whether the lands are suitable for planting teak trees or not? Whether those lands are forested or not?”

According to unofficial claims, in Siem Reap province, since 2007 there were 30,000 hectares of forests were awarded as concessions and they have been heavily logged.

Opposition members of parliament claimed that according to their research, there are currently between 300,000 to 500,000 hectares of forests were awarded as concessions and the timbers that have been cut from those forests are worth at least US$250 million annually. //