Environmental rangers are removing illegal structures from the Preah Soramrit Kosamak Kirirom National Park. The buildings, in Chambok commune of Kampong Speu province’s Phnom Sruoch district, were discovered in September. The authorities are attempting to identify the person behind the construction.
Rangers from the Kirirom National Park office, under the Kampong Speu provincial environment department, have also removed boundary marker posts, mesh fencing and 20 coconut trees that were planted by the offenders.
Ministry of Environment spokesperson Khvay Atitya said a vacation house was almost complete, with another residential structure nearby. They had also erected several tents and fenced off forested land.
“The environment ministry is cooperating with the Ministry of Justice and relevant institutions to investigate and bring the offenders who illegally encroached on protected natural areas to court,” he added.
The construction breaches several articles of the Environment and Natural Resources Code. This includes Article 855, which prohibits the construction or operation of projects that violate bans; Article 850, clause E, which prohibits transporting, collecting, stockpiling or harvesting natural resources or byproducts without permission and clause M, which prohibits fencing off or marking state-owned land in protected areas for the purpose of illegal occupation or private appropriation.
On September 19, the environment ministry — through the provincial environment department — filed a complaint at the Kampong Speu Provincial Court.
Ministry working groups are continuing to monitor all protected areas, in partnership with all relevant government institutions and communities within protected areas.
The ministry of expressed gratitude to the public for cooperating by providing information, photos and reports about offenders, assisting with monitoring and investigations into illegal logging, forest clearing and land encroachment in protected areas.
