An environmental watchdog accused government forestry officials of helping loggers illegally harvest Cambodia’s forests in a report issued ahead of today’s international donor meeting.
London-based Global Witness, which serves as the government’s independent forestry monitor, charged that “systemic abuse” exists within the Department of Forestry and Wildlife and the nation’s judiciary. This abuse threatens Cambodia’s forests and reform of the industry, and defrauds the government of millions of dollars in royalties, the report says.
“The pledges of the [Cambodian government] and the commitment of the director-general of the [Department of Forestry and Wildlife] are being undermined by officials under their control,” said Global Witness official Jon Buckrell. “The current dry season has seen an alarming increase in illegal logging…with the acquiescence and/or support of many forestry staff.”
Ty Sokhun, director of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Forestry and Wildlife, is described in the report as providing “valuable cooperation” in investigating illegal activity. But other department officials, “through a combination of lack of capacity, laziness and apparent collusion with concessionaires, have systematically obstructed investigations of forest crimes,” according to the report.
In rooting out illegal activity, Global Witness claimed its five staff members have been able to do what more than 800 Department of Forestry and Wildlife employees have failed to do.
“[They] have almost completely failed to report any large-scale [illegal logging] over the past year,” the report said.
Ty Sokhun said Sunday he doesn’t believe forestry officials have obstructed any Global Witness investigations. He said if officials are found to have done wrong, they will face administrative punishment.
“We are always under criticism,” he said. “Let Global Witness criticize us. But, in fact, we are working hard to stamp out illegal activity.”
While Global Witness acknowledges some military officials along the Thai border bear responsibility for some of the unsanctioned logging, the report lays much of blame for the nationwide resurgence of illegal logging on private concessionaires.
Concessionaires, the report says, operate today with the same impunity that they did before Prime Minister Hun Sen initiated a logging crackdown in January 1999.
And the judiciary, according to the report, has a tendency to favor timber concessionaires “and to obstruct the [Department of Forestry and Wildlife] and the reform process.” Additionally, large- and small-scale corruption perpetrated by government officials continues throughout the forestry sector, ensuring impunity for the private logging companies, Global Witness alleges.
The report suggests that the lull in illegal logging during the 1999 to 2000 dry season may have been due to a review of Cambodia’s logging concessions conducted during the same period by the Asian Development Bank. A plan to manage Cambodia’s forests, designed by the ADB, is expected to be implemented later this year.
The report raised the possibility that private loggers are trying to harvest as much timber as possible, fearing concession cancellations or restrictions that would go with a new management plan.
One of the six areas to be reviewed at today’s donor meeting is natural resource management, according to Urooj Malik, ADB’s country representative.
The meeting is the first since international aid agencies met last May with government officials in Paris. Donors pledged $548 million in aid for one year in exchange for the government’s promises to continue reform efforts.
One diplomat expressed concern Sunday over the apparent increase in illegal logging. “This is a very important issue,” he said. “[today’s] meeting will be a good occasion to express our concerns.”
(Additional reporting by Yuko Maeda)
