Prey Lang villagers on forest watch

Today is the first day of patrolling of Prey Lang community people in Sandan district, Kampong Thom province. There are about 70 people are gathered in Sre Veal village and Dang Kambet district, in the forest. The gathering started at 7:30am. In this patrol, the patrolmen use their motors for travelling into the forest. The main objective of first day is to stop the illegal logging and land occupying of the criminals. (Prey Lang - It's Our Forest Too on Facebook)

Monday, 13 August 2012
Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post

Nearly 100 Prey Lang villagers in Kampong Thom province’s Sandan district will today embark on a three-day “forest watch” mission to monitor what community representatives say are increased illegal logging activities in the jungle.

This is the fourth time the community has conducted monitoring in the area; however, this operation would be small due to financial difficulties, Prey Lang network community representative Hoeun Sopheap said yesterday.

“About 70 villagers with 35 motos, who come from only one district in Kampong Thom province, will conduct the monitoring, because we do not have enough money to support more to go with us,” he said.

"The villagers needed to act because there is still forest clearing and logging in Prey Lang", Sopheap added.

“For this rally, if we see the pile of illegally logged wood or crime in the forest, we would not burn it to destroy it as before, but we will shoot a video and take pictures for the relevant forestry officials to see it.”