Ethnic Phnong villagers in Mondulkiri province’s Sen Monorom district will file a complaint with rights group Adhoc today against three men who allegedly illegally logged 10 cubic metres of timber from their forest.

Villagers from Lao Kar village in Sokadom commune patrolling the forest found three men cutting down trees on Sunday, and confiscated their chainsaws, gasoline and other equipment, said Sok Ratha, provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc.

“They have evidence like chainsaws, and know the names of the loggers,” Ratha said.

Duong Ten, 36, one of the men patrolling the area, said 32 rangers seized two chainsaws, an axe, two long-handle cleavers, two sets of chainsaw equipment and 30 litres of gasoline inside the community forest.

“We saw them cutting the timber and seized the chainsaws and other equipment,” Ten said. “[But] we have no authority to arrest them.”