Bokor resort opens

One million trees have been planted in the national park surrounding a hotel and casino complex that opened yesterday on top of Bokor Mountain in Kampot province, Prime Minister Hun Sen said.

At the inauguration of the $200 million development – a major step towards a development the size of a small city on the mountain – Hun Sen said conservation was a priority in the national park.

“From the bottom all the way to the top, the company has planted one million trees.

“Preservation of the old trees and planting new trees has been essential to ensuring sustainable preservation – the resort would have no value if building it damaged all the trees,” the premier said.

The Post reported in March that environmental groups were quiet about how the project could affect the national park, despite business owners in Kampot saying tourists were shocked by the develop-ment. UNESCO and Fauna and Flora International did not respond to emails yesterday.