Prey Lang will go to protest

On 10th, October 2011.More than 400 people from 4 provinces K.thom, P.Vihear, S,Treng and K.tie around Prey Lang will go to protest in Prey Lang area:
The action objective:

1. Stop illegal logging,specially their resin trees logging.
2. Stop or block wood mill.

Prey Lang is the largest primary lowland dry evergreen forest remaining in both Cambodia and on the Indochinese Peninsula and it’s in jeopardy. Prey Lang and its border areas support roughly 3,600 square kilometers of forests, including a nearly pristine 80,000-100,000 core area. The forest includes seven distinct kinds of ecosystems, including unique, primordial swamp forests as well as dry evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous forests. Prey Lang is populated with rare species endemic to Cambodia, including giant luxury timber trees, more than 20 endangered plant species, and potentially over 27 endangered animal species.

More than 700,000 people live within 10 kilometers of the forest, many of whom depend upon it for the survival. The majority of these are Kuys, a small indigenous group that have been the forests custodians since time immemorial.

As a primary watershed, regulating water and sediment flow to the Tonle Sap basin and as an important spawning area for fish, Prey Lang is vital to Cambodia’s long-term environmental sustainability and its people’s food and water security. Prey Lang also has among the highest carbon values of forests in the country; sustaining it as primary forest is an important contribution in the fight against climate change.

Plans for industrial development, including agro-industrial plantations, mines, and large hydropower dams, threaten to destroy Prey Lang. Despite its ecological and social significance, Prey Lang remains unprotected.

For more information please contact to:

1. Mr. Sim Sean 092 356-575,097 603-8553
2. Mr. Hoeurn Sopheap.012 356-043
3. Mr. Menh Nee 097 883-9093
4. M. Kim Sokhorn 012 174-9141
5. Mr. Koe Soy 097 385-5253
6. Ms. Phok Hong 097 668-6297