A representative of rights group Adhoc in Ratanakkiri province said yesterday that he will investigate death threats allegedly made against three forest activists after they filed complaints about a local police official in Andong Meas district.

On January 6, the activists, who represent 108 forest community families, filed a complaint to Adhoc accusing Touch Hing, who oversees a local police post, of colluding with a Vietnamese businessman and allowing him to cut down local trees for profit, along with another commune police officer named Thorn.

Soon after, a man named Rocham Zik allegedly approached the activists with a machete, threatening to kill them, according to Adhoc provincial coordinator Chhay Thy.

“The person sharpened the machete and said that he would slash them when he was drunk, and that he would hang himself as well,” Thy said, adding that he would present his findings to the provincial prosecutor.

Neither Hing nor the three activists could be reached yesterday. Vann Sovath, a deputy provincial police chief, said that so far, his department has not received any reports about the activists’ complaints.