Luxury wood charge floated

4 December 2013
The Phnom Penh Post
Environment and natural resources / Environmental and biodiversity protection / Forest products / Forests and forestry / Land / Logging and timber / Protected forest
Botum Sakor National Park / Chea Hean / Mon Phall / Natural Resource and Wildlife Preservation Organization / NRWPO / Thailand

About 300 cubic metres of luxury timber is being felled every day and transported on boats to Vietnam and Thailand from four districts in Koh Kong province, according to an investigation by a local rights group.

Chea Hean, director of the Natural Resource and Wildlife Preservation Organization (NRWPO), said the investigation into logging in Kiri Sakor, Koh Kong, Mondul Sima and Thmar Bang districts, which include parts of Botum Sakor National Park, showed soldiers and locals were systematically exporting masses of timber.

“Soldiers and villagers with hundreds of chainsaws have logged in those areas,” he said. “They pay 10,000 baht ($310) per boat to the environmental and forest administration officers, police, military police and border officers, to transport timber,” Hean said. ...

 Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/luxury-wood-charge-floated