Forest lands are turned into barren lands in Romeas Hek. (Photo Bavet, Koh Santepheap newspaper)Forest in Romeas Hek turned into barren land – The authority has no ability to protect it, some ask to found Sok San Village
Koh Santepheap newspaper
06 July 2006
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
Svay Rieng – The fight and slow down on the destruction of a forest located in Trâs commune, Romeas Hek district, did not meet with any success yet because the destruction is still being pursued with anarchy. What attracts the attention is the fact that government forestry officials who have their post near a bridge in Romeas Hek, are in fact sitting there instead to collect money from people who came to cut and destroy the trees to make charcoal. They do not protect and chase away people who destroy the trees at all. On 04 July 2006, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, 150 bicycles were counted transporting felled trees and wood charcoal from the protected forest of Trâs commune. [Bribe] money was collected by the forestry officials at the guard post, this [corruption] act makes people lose all their hope.
Regarding the destruction of the forest and [trees] transported by bicycles, Mey Sitha, the district deputy-chief of the forestry department of Romeas Hek, admitted that he is aware of some [of the corruption] perpetrated by his subordinates who are collecting money from bicycles transporting felled woods to be used as fence posts or turned into wood charcoal. However, when he scold his subordinates [on this corruption], they replied that they have to collect bribe in order to buy food. As for himself, Mey Sitha said that he does not pay much attention on such issues, he pay more attention on large scale forest destruction on state land perpetrated to grab thousands of hectares of lands which need to be resolved. The most important issue is the destruction of trees in Tuol Kiri, Trâs village, Ta Suos village, and Kompong Mean Chey village. Trâs commune has suffered heavy destruction of state forest land by people grabbing them to plant potatoes and to build homes in an anarchic manner. According to the sub-committee of the Romeas Hek district which is in charge of preventing the destruction and land grabbing of forest land, when it started its operation in April 2006, there were only 9 huts built by border guard police officers only, however, after the provincial committee started its preservation work, people had built up to 29 homes. On 31 May, the superior border police officers went to dismantle the homes of their subordinates. Three days later, several people with hired workers came to grab the land to plant potatoes in larger number than before. A force of 186 soldiers, police, and military police officers were sent in to prevent the land grabbing, however, they were not successful as the land grabbers are backed by a powerful official. On 04 July 2006, the cutting of trees is still on the increase.
According to report, 1006 hectares of forest land had been destroyed, including 850 hectares of state forest land in Tuol Kiri, Trâs and Ta Suos villages in Trâs commune. The cleared forest land is currently planted with potatoes and 64 homes have been erected. In Kompon Mean Chey village, Trâs commune, 156 hectares had been grabbed by 156 families coming from Prey Veng and Kompong Cham province, they are currently planting potatoes. As for the mixed force of 186 soldiers and police officers who arrived since 31 May, up to 04 July, it has not done any prevention to defend from land grabbing, this force claimed that it had not received any order yet from the provincial committee in charge of fighting against this land grabbing.
At the beginning of July, the Trâs commune chief and two representatives of the people sent a letter to ask for the authorization to found a new village in Tuol Kiri, to be named Sok San village. An anonymous person claimed that 2 representatives have been collecting 100 to 200,000 riels (US$ 25 to 50) per family in order to legalize the ownership of the land grabbed. According to forestry officials, there are 282 families which came to destroy the forest, according to their investigation, there are about 300 people including the hired workers.
People who are transporting woods and who had to bribe forestry officials, said that they only fell tree in areas where the land is grabbed for potato plantations. They are only collecting felled trees and turn them into wood charcoal or fence posts. Larger trees (2 to 4 meters) are used as columns for homes, and smaller and longer trees are used for building home frames. Each bicycle load of charcoal bring its owner between 7,000 to 10,000 riels ($1.75 to $2.50), of which he/she has to pay 200 riels ($0.05) to the police force of the Trâs commune, 200 riels ($0.05) to the Ampil commune police force, and 500 riels ($0.12) to the forestry officials. One bike load can also transport 14 larger trees used for columns, for smaller trees measuring 4 meters each, each bike load can take up to 40 of them which bring its owner between 20,000 to 25,000 riels ($5.00 to $6.25) of which the forestry officials collect 2,000 riels ($0.50).
Based on about 100 bicycles in used, at least 1,000 trees are being destroyed each day, this does not include the number of large trees felled to make wood charcoal. Trucks are used to transport these woods from the Kompong Trach market to the city of Svay Rieng where they are further distributed to other areas. Therefore, it will not take long for the forest in Romeas Hek to become a barren land if there is no protection. It is very regrettable that this destruction is being perpetrated.
Koh Santepheap newspaper
06 July 2006
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
Svay Rieng – The fight and slow down on the destruction of a forest located in Trâs commune, Romeas Hek district, did not meet with any success yet because the destruction is still being pursued with anarchy. What attracts the attention is the fact that government forestry officials who have their post near a bridge in Romeas Hek, are in fact sitting there instead to collect money from people who came to cut and destroy the trees to make charcoal. They do not protect and chase away people who destroy the trees at all. On 04 July 2006, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, 150 bicycles were counted transporting felled trees and wood charcoal from the protected forest of Trâs commune. [Bribe] money was collected by the forestry officials at the guard post, this [corruption] act makes people lose all their hope.
Regarding the destruction of the forest and [trees] transported by bicycles, Mey Sitha, the district deputy-chief of the forestry department of Romeas Hek, admitted that he is aware of some [of the corruption] perpetrated by his subordinates who are collecting money from bicycles transporting felled woods to be used as fence posts or turned into wood charcoal. However, when he scold his subordinates [on this corruption], they replied that they have to collect bribe in order to buy food. As for himself, Mey Sitha said that he does not pay much attention on such issues, he pay more attention on large scale forest destruction on state land perpetrated to grab thousands of hectares of lands which need to be resolved. The most important issue is the destruction of trees in Tuol Kiri, Trâs village, Ta Suos village, and Kompong Mean Chey village. Trâs commune has suffered heavy destruction of state forest land by people grabbing them to plant potatoes and to build homes in an anarchic manner. According to the sub-committee of the Romeas Hek district which is in charge of preventing the destruction and land grabbing of forest land, when it started its operation in April 2006, there were only 9 huts built by border guard police officers only, however, after the provincial committee started its preservation work, people had built up to 29 homes. On 31 May, the superior border police officers went to dismantle the homes of their subordinates. Three days later, several people with hired workers came to grab the land to plant potatoes in larger number than before. A force of 186 soldiers, police, and military police officers were sent in to prevent the land grabbing, however, they were not successful as the land grabbers are backed by a powerful official. On 04 July 2006, the cutting of trees is still on the increase.
According to report, 1006 hectares of forest land had been destroyed, including 850 hectares of state forest land in Tuol Kiri, Trâs and Ta Suos villages in Trâs commune. The cleared forest land is currently planted with potatoes and 64 homes have been erected. In Kompon Mean Chey village, Trâs commune, 156 hectares had been grabbed by 156 families coming from Prey Veng and Kompong Cham province, they are currently planting potatoes. As for the mixed force of 186 soldiers and police officers who arrived since 31 May, up to 04 July, it has not done any prevention to defend from land grabbing, this force claimed that it had not received any order yet from the provincial committee in charge of fighting against this land grabbing.
At the beginning of July, the Trâs commune chief and two representatives of the people sent a letter to ask for the authorization to found a new village in Tuol Kiri, to be named Sok San village. An anonymous person claimed that 2 representatives have been collecting 100 to 200,000 riels (US$ 25 to 50) per family in order to legalize the ownership of the land grabbed. According to forestry officials, there are 282 families which came to destroy the forest, according to their investigation, there are about 300 people including the hired workers.
People who are transporting woods and who had to bribe forestry officials, said that they only fell tree in areas where the land is grabbed for potato plantations. They are only collecting felled trees and turn them into wood charcoal or fence posts. Larger trees (2 to 4 meters) are used as columns for homes, and smaller and longer trees are used for building home frames. Each bicycle load of charcoal bring its owner between 7,000 to 10,000 riels ($1.75 to $2.50), of which he/she has to pay 200 riels ($0.05) to the police force of the Trâs commune, 200 riels ($0.05) to the Ampil commune police force, and 500 riels ($0.12) to the forestry officials. One bike load can also transport 14 larger trees used for columns, for smaller trees measuring 4 meters each, each bike load can take up to 40 of them which bring its owner between 20,000 to 25,000 riels ($5.00 to $6.25) of which the forestry officials collect 2,000 riels ($0.50).
Based on about 100 bicycles in used, at least 1,000 trees are being destroyed each day, this does not include the number of large trees felled to make wood charcoal. Trucks are used to transport these woods from the Kompong Trach market to the city of Svay Rieng where they are further distributed to other areas. Therefore, it will not take long for the forest in Romeas Hek to become a barren land if there is no protection. It is very regrettable that this destruction is being perpetrated.
1 comment:
I have no doubt at all with these destruction when the country is being led a blind man and with low education. Low education doesn't mean that only low in school education but all kind of education. High education like evils Khiev samphann is also no use because he has lack of human knowledges. He led people from his own book. We call his university should revoke his degree for failing to be a good citizen.
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