A ride worth the weight
North of the Sesan River, in protected forests that stretch to the border with Laos and Vietnam, illegal timber traders describe a network of bribery that leaves them counting their riels, despite the multimillion-dollar nature of the industry. In contrast to the large flat-bed trucks owned by timber baron Try Pheap that ply the province’s roads – identifiable by the code number on the windshields: 1168 – small-scale traders must pay their dues to the scores of languid officials who have set up hammocks by the roadsides, creating unofficial checkpoints to cash in on a business that has only grown since the tycoon was granted sole transportation rights last year. The traders load up their motorbikes with hundreds of kilograms of luxury wood that could easily crush an arm or a leg, deftly navigating the tracks, which can morph from dustbowl to muddy brook in a matter of minutes. …
May Titthara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ride-worth-weight
