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Requests for independent investigations after rejected for allegations for forest crimes

Requests for independent investigations after rejected for allegations for forest crimes

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Left: Chettra poses by a tree that apparently seems to have been prepared for cases. Right: A letter from the Department for the Environment in front of Preah Vihear, which referred his claims as “wrong information”. Chettra/environmental department

A group of analysts and social observers have proposed that a joint examination is carried out on site–or that the head of the government personally demands an investigation in relation to the dismissal of the forest authorities of the environmental activist MA Chettra's claims, illegal protocol activities in Preah Vihear province.

Chettra recently announced what he referred to as evidence of forestry crimes in the protected areas of Cheb and Preah Roka about social media. The reaction of the Province of the Environment in front of Preah Vihear was not the one he had expected.

In a “clarification letter” that was issued last Friday, May 9, the department described Chettra's claims as “false information that deliberately stimulate social disorders to serve the political agenda of illegal opposition groups abroad”.

Good Governance Specialist Ok Sophak expressed his doubts about the department's statement and gave Prime Minister Hun Manet some suggestions.

He said that if the accusations of Chettra are true, the environmental department and the ministry should initiate an investigation of the alleged times and locations before drawing conclusions.

He found that it should not be difficult in digital time to check whether the photos of the forest crimes are old or new. When they are old, the person who shared them is clearly to blame. But if you are actually up to date, an independent position should carry out an examination.

Environmental activist Ma Chettra published this picture of a tree that he believes that he was felled by criminals in Preah Roka Wildlife Sanctuary. Ma chettra

In addition, he believed that this should not be politically framed as the case of environmental and social issues. The linking of the problem with politics means “intimidation and implicitly shows institutional weakness,” he said.

He added that the prohibition of media to report on the topic before an examination was a form of intimacy that only causes further public distrust.

“Samdech [the prime minister] Has asked the citizens to check sources and to spread false, inflammatory and destructive information. Before the publication of its declaration, the environmental department certainly received the green light from the Ministry of the Environment, so that the investigation should now be carried out by a higher authority, ”he said.

He found that although the seventh government in Cambodia in Governance matters showed a strong political will, it still has a big gap between this will and the implementation by civil servants at a lower level.

He argued that governance is the basis of public trust in the government. Therefore, the “fifth approach” may have to be applied. The removal of civil servants whose performance is under par.

PA Chanroeun, President of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, has also observed repeated public disputes between the environmental activists and the Ministry of the Environment, especially with regard to questions of forest destruction. Sometimes the Ministry has accused activists or communities of spreading incorrect information.

In order to tackle this problem, he suggested that representatives of the ministry and environmental/forest protection activists should carry out “common patrols” at locations where violations occurred in which journalists are included. He believes that this method would deliver justice to all parties.

Social analyst measurement also considered it easy to solve – possibly within just one or two days.

“Just ask the villagers who live near Prey – you will tell you everything that is going on,” he advised.

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