May Titthara and David Boyle
Thursday, 03 May 2012
Phnom Penh Post 
Photo by: Mathieu Young
Chut Wutty, an environmental activist who was gunned down in Koh
Kong province last month, burns luxury wood felled by illegal loggers in
the Prey Lang forest in February.
The “company” that military police have declined to identify but said
sent staff to confront activist Chut Wutty shortly before he was shot
last Thursday is Timbergreen, a firm the slain activist had attempted to
expose for illegal logging.
Documents obtained by the Post yesterday and sources have
confirmed Timbergreen is the firm licensed to clear the reservoirs of
the Lower Russey Chrum dam project in Koh Kong province’s Mondul Seima
district, not far from the site where Chut Wutty was shot.
Armed forces commander-in-chief Sao Sokha and military police
officials have said staff from a company licensed to clear that dam site
had attempted to stop Chut Wutty from taking photos of timber
stockpiles.
A Timbergreen security official, Ran Boroth, has also reportedly been
arrested as a suspect in the shooting of military police officer In
Rattana – who was also killed during the incident and has widely been
accused of gunning down Chut Wutty.
Khieu Sar Sileap, who was registered as the majority shareholder of
Timbergreen in August 2010, confirmed yesterday that the firm held the
licence to clear the dam reservoirs, but declined to comment further.
“I am sorry about that. I have stopped being involved with
Timbergreen,” she said, adding that she had handed over the project to
other people more than one year ago.
But she remains listed on the permit to clear the area dated June 1, 2010. That permit, authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is set to expire on the same date next month.
During trips to the Cardamom Mountain range, Chut Wutty had
attempted to prove that Timbergreen was operating a large-scale illegal
logging racket in Koh Kong province and was repeatedly apprehended by
military police for doing so.
Last Thursday, he stopped with two journalists at Veal Bei point in Mondul Seima district and began photographing logs.
But the situation turned ugly after men, including military police
officials, arrived on the scene and demanded he delete the photographs,
shortly before Chut Wutty and In Rattana were fatally shot.
Former Koh Kong forestry administration chief, Hun Ran, said military
police had arrested his son – Timbergreen security official Ran Boroth –
as a suspect five days ago.
“I have met my son already, but he did not say anything to me, so I
have to wait for the result of the committee’s investigation,” Hun Ran
said.
Tit Sothea, dep quick reaction unite at the council minister declined
to comment and said that it is under investigate so that he could not
talk to the media. He added that, “related to one man who arrested its
related to court procedure.”
Tith Sothea, deputy director of the Council of Ministers Press and Quick Reaction Unit
and a member of the joint committee investigating the case, declined to
comment about the details of the arrest because he could discuss on an
ongoing investigation.
“Related to the one man who was arrested, it is related to court procedure,” he said.
Am Sam Ath, senior investigator for rights group Licadho, said that
Ran Boroth, 26, had been arrested and held for questioning in Koh Kong
province since the evening of May 1.
Hun Ran said military police should have waited for a joint
investigation committee on which Prime Minister Hun Sen signed off on
Tuesday before arresting anyone and slammed a report into the incident
the committee released last Friday as convoluted and unbelievable.
That report suggested In Rattana had committed suicide after shooting
Chut Wutty and contradicted several earlier explanations provided by
military police officials.
In December, during a trip to the Central Cardamom Protected Forest,
Chut Wutty was apprehended by military officials with two journalists
from the Post after a photographer repeatedly shone a flashlight on trucks carrying luxury timber at night.
The armed men demanded that Chut Wutty talk to their boss on a mobile
phone. After a heated exchange, he identified this person as the chief
of security at Timbergreen.
Timbergreen holds the licence to clear the nearly 2,000-hectare
reservoir of the Stung Tatai dam, on the Tatai river in Thma Bang
district, and Chut Wutty had alleged the company was logging extensively
outside this area.
As of August, 2010, Timbergreen’s other investors were Hou Hap (27.5
per cent) and Huy Thera (15 per cent), according to the firm’s Ministry of Commerce registration.
Chut Wutty and In Rattana were gunned down in an area overseen by the
conservation organisation Wildlife Alliance in the protected Southern
Cardamom Forest.
Wildlife Alliance
CEO Suwanna Gauntlett said yesterday the slaying had drawn “extremely
damaging” worldwide media coverage that undermined confidence in public
security, damaged Cambodia’s reputation and would ultimately hurt an
emerging eco-tourism sector.
“Every single thing that happened on this crime scene is in violation
of the civilian code. Detaining civilians on a public road is one …
keeping the car from leaving the area, stealing the cameras from inside
the car, switching off the ignition of the car and then killing,” she
said. “It is also an issue of Cambodia’s economic development, of
Cambodia’s reputation, of security, public safety – this is absolutely
unconscionable.”
To contact the reporters on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com
David Boyle at david.boyle@phnompenhpost.com
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1 comment:
All are bullshit...scapegoat 100%!
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