Official Says Logging-Related Deaths Down

4 January 2014
The Cambodia Daily
Crime and law enforcement / Forest policy and administration / Forest products / Forests and forestry / Government / Human rights / International relations / Land / Law and judiciary / Logging and timber / Social development
Adhoc / Brigadier General Pech Vanna / Cambodian-Thai Relation Border Bureau / Major Prom Bunrith / Pech Vanna / RCAF / Royal Cambodian Armed Forces / Thailand

The number of people shot dead while illegally logging luxury wood in Thailand decreased significantly in 2013 compared to 2012, although a Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) official provided numbers much lower than provincial police officials, whose number also differed from human rights groups. Brigadier General Pech Vanna, director of RCAF’s Cambodian-Thai Relation Border Bureau, said a total of about seven Cambodians were shot dead after illegally entering Thailand to illegally log trees. In 2012, 45 Cambodian loggers were shot dead by Thai troops. However, added together, figures from officials in Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces put the deaths at twice as high, totaling about 13. … Cambodians regularly enter Thailand looking to illegally log luxury Rosewood, which is in high demand in China. Thailand has said its troops only shoot illegal loggers when fired upon first.

 Khy Sovuthy
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/official-says-logging-related-deaths-down-50068/