Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Vietnamese loggers actively logging in Cambodian forests

Trucks transporting illegal timbers across the borders to Vietnam.

By Khmerization
Source: RFA

Groups of 7-10 Vietnamese loggers are actively and illegally logging in Cambodian forests in Andong Meas district of Rattanakiri province and transporting all timbers across the borders to Vietnam, reports Radio Free Asia.

Villagers from the Jarai minority ethnic group from Nhang commune, Andong Meas district reported on 29th March, said they have seen groups of Vietnamese loggers, equipped with machinery, crossed into Cambodia to log in the Cambodian forests.

Kalan Beng, a Jarai villager from Taing Malu village, said these illegal logging activities by the Vietnamese have taken place since February with the connivance of the military and border police. He said on Sunday 28th, 4 villagers from Taing Malu village went to investigate the illegal logging activities and saw Vietnamese loggers working in groups of 7-10 people actively cutting down trees about 7 kilometres from the village and 3 kilometres from the borders deep inside Cambodian territories. They said they saw groups of 4-5 Vietnamese pushing carts loaded with about 30 cubic metres in total across the borders to Vietnam, about 500 metres from the Cambodian border post/checkpoint. "The (Vietnamese) logging activities are done in the open and are protected by the (Cambodian) police and soldiers. The villagers dare not interfere", said one villager.

Police officials from Pha Tam border Post cannot be reached for comments and Mong Thaen, military commander of Ratanakiri province, said he had not received the reports about the Vietnamese logging activities in Cambodian territories. However, he said he will send officials to investigate the claims.

Mr. Su Vankhamvann, chief of Rattanakiri Border Post, said he will launch an investigation and promised that offence of this sort will not be allowed to go on. However, in early 2010, a group of commune councillors of Nhang commune, Andong Meas district intercepted and detained many trucks transporting timbers across the borders to Vietnam, committed by military and police officials based in the province. The councillors released the trucks after they were threatened by the military and police.

On 22nd March 2010, raids on illegal timber warehouses in Rattanakiri had found 400 cubic metres of illegal timbers, but no one has been arrested. In raids across Siem Reap province on 24th and 26 March, thousands of cubic metres of illegal timbers had been found stockpiled in warehouses belong to powerful businessmen such as Sok Kong, Lao Meng Khin, Ang Try and others. However, no one was arrested in those raids.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

This picture shows truck-loads of old rubber trees cut from rubber plantations for replanting of new rubber trees. Rubber trees are small rounded and of equal size. Good quality wood should be much bigger.

Anonymous said...

It is a good idea to investigate and making sure that things like this to ever happen again.

Anonymous said...

COMMISSION of PRIVATE PARTY!

Anonymous said...

The illegal logging/luxry wood-timbers transportation across border is very difficult to take photo mostly they transport at night time... so that if any report or rumors from the people, authority have to investigate...however the truck in picture loaded by rubber tree or not..

Anonymous said...

how does VN Govt love Royal corrupt Government so much and pls see the opposition between VN and RCG

V N Royal Corrupt Govt
hang@ TRAIL Corrupter # encourage corrupters
no illegal activities # encourage illegal activities
Rule OF LAW # No rule of Law
Clean cities # Dirty@ Rubbish Capital
no corrupt minister # all corrupt minister
well educated minister # un and low IQ, EQ LOW educated ministers
morally officers # brutal officers

VIET NAME govt is friend to Cambodia but never band their illegal activities in Cambodia, but encourage and to deplete Cambodia like forest

Anonymous said...

VN Govt # Royal Corrupt Govt

Anonymous said...

find the culprit behind the illegal wood trade. i'm sure it's the local that sell woods to youn!

Anonymous said...

Shoot them up!! just like Thais soldier did to Khmers people...Tell that 1-STAR general to shoot the enemy(Viets) who illegally logging in our country..! don't shoot your own poor people??

Anonymous said...

VN government is openly and secretly ,to some point, backing their illegal activities in Cambodia like illegal log trading fishing etc...they do know well that all those log are illegally fell down by CPP so that is why they encourage to buy and trade to VN company

Anonymous said...

It is the Khmer authority who connived with the Viet to cut down Khmer trees.These authorities are the real traitors.

Anonymous said...

When you lease out a piece of land, is it not the case that you own everything on that land including trees?

These so-called private companies of Vietnam lease thousands of hectares of land all over the country, Rattanakiri included, and legally for the next 100 years and, no doubt, beyond, there is no way of stopping this one-way traffic in Vietnamese expropriation of Khmer natural assets.


School Of Vice

Anonymous said...

HUN SEN SAID TAKE IT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE. JUST DON'T KILL ME PLUS YOU CAN TAKE MY COUNTRY TOO IF YOU LIKE WHEN YOU ARE READY. FUCKING STUPID CAMBODIA GORVERMENT.