Thursday, December 12, 2013

Cambodia Opposition Leader Urges Halt to Forest Land Concessions


RFA photo
2013-12-11 RFA

Cambodia’s opposition leader called Wednesday for a halt to land concessions granted by the government to foreign companies in the country’s vast Prey Lang Forest, calling for greater protection of one of Southeast Asia’s last remaining lowland evergreen woodlands.

Cambodia National Rescue Party President Sam Rainsy made the call while on a visit with 20 lawmakers-elect from the party to a rubber plantation run by Vietnamese military-linked CRCK company as part of a land concession in the forest in Kampong Thom province.

Opposition politicians have raised several complaints against the government about the company since it began clearing forest to make way for the rubber trees after it was granted a 23 square mile (60 square kilometer) land concession in the province’s Sandan district three years ago.

Villagers who have long relied on the forest have lost their livelihoods because of deforestation brought by trees felled for land concessions such as those given to CRCK, Sam Rainsy said.

“We shouldn’t welcome these foreign companies … that have encroached on our forest,” he told RFA's Khmer Service.

Scale of destruction

He said he was “speechless” at the scale of destruction of the forest, which stretches across about 1,390 square miles (3,600 square kilometers).

“Before, this area used to have forest so thick we couldn’t even see the sky, but now it has vanished and we can see only see empty fields.”

“I feel sorrow for our country, the forest, and all the people,” he said.

Local villagers near the plantation had been unable to find decent-paying jobs that would make up for the loss of their livelihoods, he said.

Forest under threat

Tens of thousands of ethnic minority people live in and around the Prey Lang Forest, which also plays a key role in Cambodia’s water management system.

Local activists say it is under a major environmental threat from agro-industrial and mining land concessions that authorize private developers to clear trees on wide swathes of the forest, as well as from illegal logging in unauthorized areas.

Community activists have conducted patrols to check illegal logging and poaching and have campaigned to stop any land concessions from being granted in the forest, which they say should have official protected status.

According to rights group Adhoc, the government has granted at least 33 companies about 386 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) worth of land concessions in Prey Lang, the Phnom Penh Post reported this year.

CRCK's land concession in the forest was granted in May 2010 with a 70-year contract, according to the paper.

Reported by Sobratsavyouth Hang for RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

អាខ្វាក់សម រង្សី មួយនេះ ឆ្កួត​ហើយ!

Anonymous said...

12:56 PM,
AH YOUN

Anonymous said...

Please think twice or more. Mr. Nelson Mandela oppose with British and won. Mahatma Gandhi also oppose and against British and won but us Khmer against yourn communist I bet you cpp yourn will never ever listened to you when you follow those two gentlemen. Your plan will be disaster plus our Khmer people will get tired and will not have any money left for spending. Our country is a poor country. yourn, chin are not the same as British their BRAINS are not NARROW as communist yourn and chin. Just want you to rethink. The more time you spend the weaker energy you will get.

Anonymous said...

2:05 PM,

We agree with you 100%. Controls of Youn/Vietnamese (and Chinese) over Cambodia and Cambodian/Khmer people is different from the controls of British over India and South Africa. We Khmer people and leader of CNRP can not compare or be like that. Read and think deeper that Vietnamese/Youn bastards in Hanoi are very different from British controllers (well educated non-communist individuals). Communist Yuon/Vietnamese are very evil and holding grips as the real killers that ended up killing innocent Cambodian/Khmer people as you know it very well about the Killing Fields (1975-1979) and before the Killing Fields during American War against evil Communist Yuon/Vietnamese, and even after the Killing Fields that blind and gullible Hun Sen who was installed illegally by Hun Sen's Vietnamese masterminded bastards in Hanoi. Hun Sen has been so stupid and dumb, not seeing what has been behind the secret plans of his Vietnamese masterminded bastards (bosses) to kill or terminate all Khmer/Cambodian race and ethnicity in Cambodia before Hun Sen's masterminded bosses to take a full control over Cambodia and then compete with China or get richer. So, again, it is a real Communist Vietnamese secret plans.

The United States, United Nations and European Unions still wonder about what the Communist Vietnamese masterminded leaders in Hanoi have been doing lately to Laos and Cambodian. Laos has only five millions of people. Cambodia has over 15 millions of Khmer/Cambodian peoples combined with Khmer Surin in Thailand (some millions) and Khmer Krom in South Vietnam (over 18 millions of Khmer people). Khmer population is not small.

Khmer/Cambodian people can unite together to fight back against the evil Vietnamese masterminded leaders and Vietnamese dog Hun Sen (blind, stupid and dumb peasant backed by his Vietnamese masterminded bosses in Hanoi).

So, don't compare the situation in Cambodia to South Africa led by Nelson Mandela and India led by Mahatma Gandhi.

Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Kem Sokha along with a huge number of Khmer/Cambodian supporters (Combined with Khmer Krom and Khmer Surin, Khmer living abroad) should do something, make very noise, become very aggressive and let the world know and show the world about the evil Communist Vietnamese masterminded leaders who have currently controlled dumb Cambodian man named Hun Sen and have ordered or manipulated Hun Sen (who is so blind and dumb) to lead to destroy Cambodia and hurt Cambodian/Khmer people, making Khmer/Cambodian people become miserable, poorer, powerless, voiceless, and beyond. That is why we Khmer people need to think twice and be aware of the power grips of Yuon/Vietnamese bastards in Communist Vietnam Hanoi. Communist bastards in Hanoi are very stubborn, uneducated, stupid and even more evil in mind comparing to British, USA, and EU leaders who are very well educated and democratic...

Khmer people of CNRP should show the very strong supports to our leaders Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Kem Sokha who are our prosperous hopes.

Khmer Yeurng

Anonymous said...

Correction for 6:23 PM

2:05 PM,

We agree with you 100%. Controls of Youn/Vietnamese (and Chinese) over Cambodia and Cambodian/Khmer people ARE different from the controls of British over India and South Africa. We Khmer people and leader of CNRP can not compare or be like that. Read and think deeper that Vietnamese/Youn bastards in Hanoi are very different from British controllers (well educated non-communist individuals). Communist Yuon/Vietnamese are very evil and holding grips as the real killers that ended up killing innocent Cambodian/Khmer people as you know it very well about the Killing Fields (1975-1979) and before the Killing Fields during American War against evil Communist Yuon/Vietnamese, and even after the Killing Fields that blind and gullible Hun Sen who was installed illegally by Hun Sen's Vietnamese masterminded bastards in Hanoi. Hun Sen has been so stupid and dumb, not seeing what has been behind the secret plans of his Vietnamese masterminded bastards (bosses) to kill or terminate all Khmer/Cambodian race and ethnicity in Cambodia before Hun Sen's masterminded bosses to take a full control over Cambodia and then compete with China or get richer. So, again, it is a real Communist Vietnamese secret plans.

The United States, United Nations and European Unions still wonder about what the Communist Vietnamese masterminded leaders in Hanoi have been doing lately to Laos and Cambodian. Laos has only five millions of people. Cambodia has over 15 millions of Khmer/Cambodian peoples combined with Khmer Surin in Thailand (some millions) and Khmer Krom in South Vietnam (over 18 millions of Khmer people). Khmer population is not small.

Khmer/Cambodian people can unite together to fight back against the evil Vietnamese masterminded leaders and Vietnamese dog Hun Sen (blind, stupid and dumb peasant backed by his Vietnamese masterminded bosses in Hanoi).

So, don't compare the situation in Cambodia to South Africa led by Nelson Mandela and India led by Mahatma Gandhi.

Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Kem Sokha along with a huge number of Khmer/Cambodian supporters (Combined with Khmer Krom and Khmer Surin, Khmer living abroad) should do something, make very noise, become very aggressive and let the world know and show the world about the evil Communist Vietnamese masterminded leaders who have currently controlled dumb Cambodian man named Hun Sen and have ordered or manipulated Hun Sen (who is so blind and dumb) to lead to destroy Cambodia and hurt Cambodian/Khmer people, making Khmer/Cambodian people become miserable, poorer, powerless, voiceless, and beyond. That is why we Khmer people need to think twice and be aware of the power grips of Yuon/Vietnamese bastards in Communist Vietnam Hanoi. Communist bastards in Hanoi are very stubborn, uneducated, stupid and even more evil in mind comparing to British, USA, and EU leaders who are very well educated and democratic...

Khmer people of CNRP should show the very strong supports to our leaders Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Kem Sokha who are our prosperous hopes.

Khmer Yeurng

Anonymous said...

Jendha,

Would you please post the Video to show the readers that Mr. Sam Rainsy has spoken about the forest of Prey Lang destroyed by illegal Yuon/Vietnamese Companies under Vietnamese puppet Hun Sen.

Thank you,

Khmer Yeurng

Anonymous said...

No trees, no enlightenment!?

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable. The land look empty just like horizon. Ah choy mray hun sen is a very bad person. He let the foreigners destroy Khmer. Just stupid mind.

Anonymous said...

អាអ្នក​ឆ្កួតនិង​អាសម រង្សី តែងតែពោលដូចឆ្កែ​ស៊ីអាចម៍ជាពិសេសអាសម រង្សីខ្លួនវាតែម្តងថា៖

*អាហ៊ុន សែនវាថោកជាងលោកស្រី យិនឡាក់
តែភ្លេចថា អាឆ្កែឡេមឡឹមសម រង្ស៊ី អានេះ ក្បត់ជាតិជាងអាហ៊ុន សែន
១លា​នដងទៅទៀត !

*អាសម រង្សីមួយហ្នឹង កំសាកញ៉ីផុតលេខ គឺអន់ហើយថោកជាងអាចម៍លោកស្រី ទេព វន្នី
១លា​នដង !