The Royal Government on Feb 27 backed away from threats made by Prime Minister Hun

Sen in January to expel the environmental watchdog organization Global Witness (GW)

from Cambodia. GW, the official Independent Monitor of the donor-funded Forest Crime

Monitoring Unit, resolved the impasse with an apology from GW Director Patrick Alley

for the timing of the release of a report that stated illegal logging had increased

across Cambodia. Hun Sen made the threats in an emotional outburst during a donors

consultative group meeting in Phnom Penh on Jan 31. Hun Sen followed up those threats

with a Feb 22 statement that accused GW of conspiring with Thai military officials

to facilitate illegal imports of Cambodian timber to discredit the Cambodian government.

GW dismissed the allegation.