PREAH VIHEAR
PRIME Minister Hun Sen warned Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) troops not to engage in illegal logging and encouraged them to stamp out the practice during a visit to the Thai-Cambodian border near Preah Vihear temple on Saturday. “Do not log – help to crack down on illegal loggers. This is a strict order for all soldiers here to defend the forest,” Hun Sen said. “There are 50 bad soldiers who have made 30,000 soldiers lose reputation. Therefore, all troops and military officers must join to crack down on the dishonest group, including its commanders.” Hun Sen also called on the RCAF to secure the Thai-Cambodian border, where the local rights group Adhoc says 11 Cambodians have been killed by Thai soldiers while logging illegally across the border in the past 13 months. Soldiers “must try to stop people who cross into Thailand to log their wood”, Hun Sen said, calling on commanders to redouble their efforts.
