The Military Police launched a campaign involving over 300 personnel to crack down on land grabs and deforestation in Pursat province on March 12. GRK News
General Sao Sokha, commander-in-chief of Cambodia’s Royal Gendarmerie, has initiated a month-long operation to counter deforestation and illegal encroachment on state land in Pursat province.
The campaign, launched on March 12, is focused on four communes in Veal Veng district.
Sokha, who serves as chair of the National Committee for the Prevention of and Crackdown on Natural Resource Crime, appointed Royal Gendarmerie chief of staff Sar Sambothon to oversee the operation, which will involve 300 Military Police officers, it was announced. The deployment follows a request by the Ministry of Environment.
“The objective of this ongoing campaign is to enhance the management of natural protected areas, ensuring the sustainability of ecological systems, the conservation of biodiversity and the appropriate utilisation of natural resources,” it explained.
It added that when offenders are apprehended, cases will be assembled and forwarded to the judiciary for legal action.
Eng Hy, Military Police spokesman, said that the national committee has laid out a clear plan to curb land grabbing. It will work within national and sub-national mechanisms and cooperate with local authorities.
“The local authorities lack the manpower to respond to large-scale land grabs. At the request of the environment ministry, the Military Police will assist. Our troops will be subject to the same procedures as the local authorities,” he added.
He emphasised that the campaign will be carried out according to legal procedures, and explained that offenders will be sent to court. People who are unaware of the problems of deforestation and land grabbing will be educated. He noted that similar campaigns have been carried out in the past, with great success.
Pursat provincial governor Khoy Rida acknowledged that the provincial authorities were unable to respond to all forest crimes, and required the intervention of the Military Police.
“We have been forced to do this because lawbreakers who call themselves citizens are destroying our natural resources. I will not recognise them as citizens. We need to act now before our forests are gone. It will be almost impossible to replant them in the future, so we need to protect them now,” he said.
He explained that law-abiding citizens possess land titles and paperwork issued by the state, but many newcomers appeared to be occupying state land for their personal profit.
Heng Kimhong, president of the Cambodian Youth Network (CYN) hailed the new campaign, saying he believed it essential, as forest and natural resource offending has been on the rise for decades in Veal Veng district.
“We have to ensure that the Military Police intervention complies with the law so there is no abuse of power, as well as to make certain that no powerful individuals get away with law-breaking. Overall, the campaign will be a good thing,” he added.
