Cambodia 'must admit to logging'

Source: Bangkok Post
7 May, 2012

he Foreign Ministry has urged the Cambodian government to admit its people are illegally felling rosewood in border areas.

It should make the admission for the sake of preserving healthy bilateral ties, ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said yesterday.
At a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had admitted Cambodians were conducting illegal logging and that Thai authorities were right to attempt to defend their territory.
On Saturday, 20 natural resource protection officials from Si Sa Ket province which borders Cambodia spotted a group of more than 10 men felling rosewood in the Plan Ta Muan forest south of Ban Huay Jan village in tambon Huay Jan of Si Sa Ket's Khun Han district.
When the Thai authorities identified themselves to make an arrest, the illegal loggers fired at them. The Thais believe the loggers were Cambodians. Both sides exchanged gunfire for about five minutes before the loggers fled the scene.
Thai officials yesterday found a chainsaw, three containers holding about 60 litres of petrol, food, rucksacks, 16 planks of processed rosewood and trails of blood at the location.
Mr Thani said the Cambodian Foreign Ministry had asked Thai soldiers not to fire at Cambodians, but didn't refer to the problem of Cambodians intruding into Thai territory for illegal logging.
Meanwhile, Cambodia's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry on Saturday rejected Mr Thani's allegation that Cambodia has deliberately placed landmines along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Mr Thani made the comment after a Thai soldier was badly injured by one of the devices on Wednesday.
The Thai army believed the landmine was planted to retaliate against Thai troops who cracked down on log poachers.
"The area near the Preah Vihear temple was previously a battle zone and a sanctuary of Khmer Rouge forces who must have laid many landmines to protect their position during the war," Cambodia's Foreign Affairs Ministry said.