Cambodia: ministry official urges Battambang’s working groups to step up on crackdown measures

As more authorities cooperate to crack down on crimes in Tonle Sap’s flooded forest, the ministry official urged the working group of Battambang to clearly identify the encroached and deforested areas of the flooded forests in the province.

Secretary of State of the Ministry of Land Management and Chairman of the Joint Working Group in charge of Battambang, Pen Sophal, urged the working group to identify the area of the flooded forests that are damaged and apprehend the criminals. They were urged to identify the flooded forests in four of the province’s districts.

During the meeting on preventive measures and crackdown on the deforestation of the flooded forest of Tonle Sap on November 30, Secretary of State Sophal said that the relevant ministries and departments should cooperate in collecting information. The Secretary of State also instructed the working group to replant trees at the border of the swamp forests.

The Secretary of State also urged the joint task force to deploy forces to find out the culprits in the land encroachment crimes.

Secretary of State Sophal, accompanied by Governor of Battambang Province, Sok Loo, and the joint working group to inspect one of the target areas in Peam Ek District. The inspection team saw evidence of land clearing and encroachment crimes, including heavy machinery used for farming and logging.

People in the area told reporters that a large area of the swamp forest has been bulldozed by encroachers in recent years. They also mentioned that some of the authorities were in collusion with the encroachers.

On November 30, the authorities sent seven people who were arrested in connection to deforestation and land grabbing crimes of about 50 hectares of the swamp forest.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES