Indigenous Forest Protection Group Again Told to Disband
Members of Bunong ethnic minority forest group in Kratie province who accused local police of barring their community patrols in search of illegal logging were told by a Forestry Administration official yesterday that they had no authority to operate. … Mr. [Peit] Kun Pedor [head of local Forestry Administartion office] said the group had no right to patrol forested area near their village because it was now an economic land concession belonging to the Binh Phuoc rubber firm, and because the group lacked official certification recognizing their conservation efforts. … Choeng Forest Community President Huor Chea, one of three members who attended yesterday’s meeting with the Forestry Administration, said the forest area they were patrolling was not part of the land concession, and insisted that the group had the necessary authorization. …
