A public forum due to be held yesterday by the Prey Lang Community Network in Preah Vihear province’s Chey Sen district was cancelled after the provincial authorities banned the meeting.

Seng Sok Heng, coordinator of the Community Peace Building Network, who joined about 300 forest activists for the forum yesterday, said the activists were disappointed by the decision.

“The Prey Lang activists … returned home upset and angry with the authorities that denied their request,” Sok Heng said.

He added that the district authorities had told the activists, some of whom had travelled through the forest for days by motorbike for the meeting, that a new date would be set for the forum, where activists were to present evidence of illegal logging to the authorities.