Fisheries Official Questioned Over Clearing Flooded Forest

A fisheries official accused of involvement in the clearing of an area of protected flooded forest in Kampong Thom province in July was questioned at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday. Korn Chanseiha, chief of the Fisheries Administration’s Stong district office, is one of about 20 officials who have received court summonses since June for their suspected involvement in clearing the flooded forest to make way for rice farming. … On July 27, the court charged six people with clearing protected forest including Samprorch commune chief Peanh Poul, provincial director of water resources Cheat Syvutha and four farmers. …