Governmental officials have denied recent accusations from Thai

environmental authorities that Cambodians are involved in the illegal

trafficking of dolphins to Thailand, where they are allegedly sold as

meat. "I guarantee that my province's people did not do it," said Yuth

Phouthang, governor of Koh Kong province. "I ban my people from

catching dolphins for business, and ... they draw a lot of tourists to

visit my province every year."

Touch Seang Tana, director of the

Dolphin Protection Committee, said that the government had committed

itself to preserving local dolphin populations. "We have put strict

pressure on dolphin-catching since early 2006," he said.