Environment Ministry
Authorities in Kampong Thom province prevent members of the Prey Lang Community Network from entering a protected area to conduct an annual tree-blessing ceremony on February 21, 2020. (Licadho)

Ministry, Forest Patrollers Accuse Each Other of Breaking the Law

The Environment Ministry has accused a forestry patrol group of illegally monitoring a protected forest, drawing criticism from civil society organizations who say the ministry has violated the group’s rights and restricted its conservation efforts.

Armed police monitor participants of a tree-blessing ceremony in Prey Lang protected forest in 2019 (Licadho)

Officials Block Prey Lang Activists From Forest Ahead of Annual Event

The Environment Ministry and local authorities on Friday prevented hundreds of environmental rights advocates and others from entering the Prey Lang protected area for an annual forest conservation event set for the weekend, a ministry spokesman and rights group said.

An elephant sculpture built from the parts of 300 confiscated chainsaws (Environment Ministry)

300 Confiscated Chainsaws Turned Into Elephant Sculpture

Three-hundred chainsaws confiscated from illegal loggers have been disassembled into pieces and reconstructed into a metallic elephant sculpture that authorities hope will raise awareness about conservation.

A container filled with plastic waste at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port

Ministry Sticks to Trash Containers’ Origin Story After Canada’s Denial

Environment Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra on Monday reiterated earlier government statements that 83 shipping containers packed with plastic refuse and left at the Sihanoukville port since last year came from the U.S. and Canada — despite Canada saying on Friday that the containers weren’t theirs.

Containers filled with plastic waste at the Sihanoukville port on July 16, 2019

Plastic Waste Shipped Out, but Destination Unclear

The first 14 out of 83 containers of plastic waste imported to the country, supposedly from the U.S. and Canada, have been sent back to their countries of origin, the customs department said.