Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Activist summoned over alleged crimes

Activist summoned over alleged crimes

Environmental activist Ven Vorn (second from right) thumbprints a court summons
Environmental activist Ven Vorn (second from right) thumbprints a court summons yesterday in Koh Kong province. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Activist summoned over alleged crimes

Just days after Spanish environmentalist Alex Gonzalez-Davidson was ejected from the country after officials refused to renew his visa, a prominent Areng Valley activist has been summoned to appear in court for unspecified “forest crimes”.

Ven Vorn, a community representative in the remote valley in Koh Kong province, was issued a summons by the Koh Kong Provincial Court on Saturday, according to activists from the environmental group Mother Nature, which was co-founded by Gonzalez-Davidson.

“The charges are most likely related to the visitor center [that] the communities and [Mother Nature] activists are building at the Areng Valley for students, guests, etc and needless to say is part of the campaign against [the] anti-dam movement,” Gonzalez-Davidson said in an email from an undisclosed location yesterday.

Gonzalez-Davidson was arrested and deported on February 23 for overstaying his visa. Authorities claimed he had been denied a new visa because he had blocked a road to the proposed dam site last year.

“They started with me and now they are trying to get the local leaders coerced,” he added.

Tou Savuth, the governor of Thmor Bang district, could not be reached for comment.

Vorn also could not be reached yesterday as he was in the valley, where there is no mobile phone coverage.

He has been called for questioning on March 10 after Forestry Administration officers filed a complaint against him, according to the summons.

“He must appear at the court on this date and bring any supporting documents if he has them,” the letter reads.

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday said that a decision on whether to proceed with the 108-megawatt hydropower dam would be postponed until 2018. Sinohydro Resources, a state-owned Chinese firm, has sought to complete feasibility studies of the dam since March last year, hiring two local consultancies to carry out the work.

Resistance from the activists and some in the local community has irked the authorities and prompted “threats”, said Heng Samnang, a Mother Nature activist.

“What they are doing now is threatening the communities who are always actively … opposing the hydropower dam,” he said. “Under the forestry law, communities living around the protected forest can collect forest by-products without requiring a licence.”

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one