Soldiers Stopped From Confiscating Timber
By Thet Sambath
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Ten RCAF soldiers in Ratanakkiri province's Veun Sai district clashed with provincial military police and district authorities Sunday over the confiscation of 35 cubic meters of luxury wood, officials said.
Kam Svan, deputy commander of Ratanakkiri's provincial RCAF, said Veun Sai district police, military police, and the district's governor stopped his troops from confiscating the consignment of illegal timber.
"They warned us that if we dared to move this wood from the district, they would open fire on us," Kam Svan alleged.
The tense armed standoff was solved by the intervention of Provincial Governor Moung Poy, Kam Svan said, adding that the wood is now at his headquarters.
Hor Ang, deputy provincial police chief, said the conflict arose when the provincial soldiers tried to snatch wood that district authorities had already confiscated.
"District authorities tried to protect this wood," he said.
Meas Samin, Ratankkiri’s deputy military police commander, said the soldiers confiscated the wood without consulting with district authorities.
Kam Svan said such cooperation would have been impossible, and he accused local authorities of abetting illegal logging.
"We could not inform them because the district governor, police and military police in this district have been involved in logging," he said.
Meas Samin said the current case is still under investigation, but confirmed that in the past some of his men had been suspended for illegal trafficking of wildlife and timber. "If I find out any of my officers are involved, I will punish them," he said.
Kam Svan said his soldiers would continue to intercept illegally logged timber.
"We have the provincial governor's order and the order of Prime Minister Hun Sen to crack down on logging," he said. "We are continuing to crack down in more places in this province."
Kam Svan, deputy commander of Ratanakkiri's provincial RCAF, said Veun Sai district police, military police, and the district's governor stopped his troops from confiscating the consignment of illegal timber.
"They warned us that if we dared to move this wood from the district, they would open fire on us," Kam Svan alleged.
The tense armed standoff was solved by the intervention of Provincial Governor Moung Poy, Kam Svan said, adding that the wood is now at his headquarters.
Hor Ang, deputy provincial police chief, said the conflict arose when the provincial soldiers tried to snatch wood that district authorities had already confiscated.
"District authorities tried to protect this wood," he said.
Meas Samin, Ratankkiri’s deputy military police commander, said the soldiers confiscated the wood without consulting with district authorities.
Kam Svan said such cooperation would have been impossible, and he accused local authorities of abetting illegal logging.
"We could not inform them because the district governor, police and military police in this district have been involved in logging," he said.
Meas Samin said the current case is still under investigation, but confirmed that in the past some of his men had been suspended for illegal trafficking of wildlife and timber. "If I find out any of my officers are involved, I will punish them," he said.
Kam Svan said his soldiers would continue to intercept illegally logged timber.
"We have the provincial governor's order and the order of Prime Minister Hun Sen to crack down on logging," he said. "We are continuing to crack down in more places in this province."
No comments:
Post a Comment