Report Volume One on Try Pheap Company Group Illegal Logging in Cambodia

Mr. Try Pheap Group is licensed by Ministry of Agriculture to buy all the timbers from other companies, who have the concessionary status granted by the government. CHRTF has discovered at least 14 main places where Try Pheap is using to store his timbers which are being collected from other 27 places within 12 provinces. Most of them are located in the forest and some are located close to downtown area of Ratanakiri province. Apart from the logging store which CHRTF has found, it has also discovered that Try Pheap has possessed other ten concessionary projects as part of his so-called development projects officially granted by the government. Overall, these projects have tremendously affected the livelihood of 1445 families who lived close to development area because most of them fundamentally relied on forest and natural resources. Natural Resources contribute significantly to the livelihood and survival of many families in that area, but the productivity and sustainability of those resources are heavily dependent on how the government manages and protect them for community. Despite all these impacts, Try Pheap group has encroached 20 areas of the protected area namely wild life sanctuary, and national park which are strictly prohibited by law (Law on Natural Protected Area, 20017 & Royal Degree, 1993).

There are number of studies qualified that deforestation contributes to heavy precipitation events: floods, hailstorm, and drought, especially the studies of Schmidhuber & Tubiello (2007) who said that the strong impact of climate change will be felt over all decades will crucially depend on future policy environment for the poor. Cambodian does not seem to have a good policy for its environment protection although there were a few legislations and sub-degrees were adopted. However, the implementation is still very weak and has never been effective. This is part of the reason why private company like Try Pheap enjoying the ineffectiveness of the legislation.

According to CEN News (November 3, 2013),  Cambodia severely had faced flood that caused to property losses of around 800 million USD, and 168 of lives, including more than 1.8 million people tremendously affected and damaged their rice products of more than 30 thousand hectares[i]. Although the report does not reveal any direct link of illegal logging activities carried out by Try Pheap group, it has direct connection to natural disaster. However, it is evidently shown that Try Pheap has a large scale of logging area covered ten provinces in Cambodia, this massive logging project has directly and partly contributed to the recent natural disaster although there is no media coverage or any other research had been conducted to suffice the connection.

Mr. Try Pheap and his wife, Mao Mom, have possessed at least 66,089 hectares of economic land concession, which are provided by the government to turn them into a special economic zone and agro-industrial plantation. Among them, there are around 136 hectares located in O Yadav, Ratanakiri  province, 6436 hectares located in Thmor Da, Pursat province, 18,855 hectares located Vireak Chey inside National Park and wild life sanctuary area of Boeung Pae, Preah Vehear province, 9,916 hectares located in Samkos mountain plus 4,402 hectares in Veal Veng district, Pursat province , including around 6,771 hectares in TaTai district, Koh Kong province, and another 15000 hectares located in Stung Treng province not including other 4373 hectares of mining concession projects as part of a joint venture with other two mining companies under the name of (Cambodia)  Hong Futry Pheap Mining Development Construction Group Co, LTD and Mong Good Luck  Mining Company which are located in Anlong Reap, and Pramoy in Veal Veng district, Koh Kong province,  including other 200 hectares located on Rabbit island (see the table at page 13 & 14).  

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For full version of report please contact me ouchleng@gmail.com