Hun Sen calls off deals on protected land

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday ordered an end to all private land deals inside the country’s protected areas and warned local businessmen and officials against making such illegal deals. “All official paperwork in connection with natural protected areas is invalid,” he said while speaking at the site of a future dam in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district. “I would like to announce that they are all rejected.” “Please stop all kinds of transfers” inside the protected areas, he added. “In the end, it only destroys natural forests inside conservation areas. All authorities, cooperate with the environment and agriculture sectors to stop the deforestation, land encroachment and hunting.”…