A high-ranking forestry official met with the Preah Vihear provincial governor late last month to try to resolve a shooting allegedly involving the governor’s bodyguards, officials said.
Pol Kham Nare, deputy chief of the Forestry Administration’s northern Tonle Sap inspectorate, said Monday that he met with Governor Preap Tann on Aug 25 and that the governor acknowledged his bodyguards had made a mistake.
Forestry officials said last week that the governor’s bodyguards fired shots into their office near midnight Aug 23 as a warning over a timber dispute.
“[Preap Tann] told me that he had educated them not to do it again. The Governor was not involved but he wants a compromise to end the case,” Pol Kham Nare said.
Preah Vihear Provincial Cabinet Chief Song Bun Leang confirmed on Tuesday the meeting took place, but said he did not know what transpired. Repeated calls to Preap Tann this week were unsuccessful. Meas Nob, Preah Vihear Provincial Court prosecutor, said Tuesday he also had met with Preap Tann before deciding what action will be taken, but declined to comment further.
Foresters closed down the provincial office Sept 1 out of fear for their safety. Pol Kham Nare said the solution is now up to the Ministry of Agriculture, which received his report earlier this week. He said the dispute that lead to the shooting began when foresters ordered provincial officials to turn over timber that the provincial officials had confiscated so that foresters could investigate.
Marcus Hardtke of forestry watchdog Global Witness said his organization has received several reports that the clash involved arguments over payment to the foresters.
According to the reports, foresters confiscated the timber and demanded payment from several officials involved before releasing it, Hardtke said Tuesday. “This is usually the way these things happen, either someone feels the confiscation is unfair because its selective law enforcement, or someone feels they paid for something and didn’t get it,” he said.
