BKK Post / 20 June 1998  

FORESTRY / CAMBODIAN TIMBER SMUGGLING  
Probe urged into poached logs  
NGO says company linked to Hun Sen  

   The environmental watchdog Global Witness has alerted 
Thailand to the planned transportation into the country of 
100,000 cubic metres of Cambodian timber through Laos, the 
Foreign Ministry announced yesterday.
   According to the London-based non-governmental 
organisation, an estimated 8,500 cubic metres of the 
timber, which had been felled in the northern Cambodian 
province of Stung Treng, has already been sent to Laos.
   The Cambodian export company Pheapimex-Fuchan is owned 
by a Khmer national identified as Choeng Sopheap, who is 
said to be close to Second Prime Minister Hun Sen, the 
group said.
   The timber, estimated to be worth US$50 million, was 
destined for a Thai company identified as Pipat Forestry.
   Global Witness wrote to Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, 
Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart and Foreign Minister 
Surin Pitsuwan urging them to investigate the report, the 
spokesman said. Mr Surin has instructed related agencies to 
look into the matter, the spokesman added.
   Global Witness at the same time praised the Chuan 
government for honouring its promise to ban the import of 
timber from Cambodia, he said.
   Cambodia, which has come under fire from foreign donors 
for poor management of dwindling forests, has officially 
banned logging for export. The forests, which three decades 
ago were said to have covered 70 per cent of the country, 
now cover about 40 per cent.
   "Pheapimex-Fuchan is an example of all that is wrong 
with forestry in Cambodia," said Global Witness.
   "They enjoy the protection of Hun Sen, they cut what 
they like and it seems that no one has the power to do 
anything about it."
   Global Witness quoted local loggers as saying that 
Pheapimex would pay US$50 per cubic metre to the Laotian 
government for passage of its logs. The group said it had 
heard allegations that up to 30 per cent of the profits 
were destined for officials in the forestry department in 
Phnom Penh.
   "We have written to the Thai prime minister and foreign 
minister to notify them of this illegal deal," Global 
Witness said.
   "Laos is deliberately flouting their commitment to 
prevent illegal log imports from Cambodia, and both 
Cambodia and Laos will try to dupe Thailand into believing 
the logs are from Laos."
   Thailand, it said, "is currently alone amongst 
Cambodia's neighbours in honouring their commitment to 
prevent illegal log imports from Cambodia across their land 
border."
   Border sources said many of the Thai timber companies 
which had logging operations in Cambodia have set up saw 
mills inside Cambodia to process logs and send them out in 
the form of processed wood.
   There were more than 10 saw mills opposite the 
Chanthaburi-Trat area alone, the sources said, adding most 
of the processed wood were sent in through border passes at 
Ban Had Lek of Trat, Ban Pakkaad, in Pong Namron District, 
Ban Suansom in Soi Dao District and Ban Laem in Makham 
District of Chanthaburi, and Ban Klong Luek in 
Aranyaprathet District of Sa Kaew.
   Some of the Thai logging companies which had failed to 
haul Cambodian logs across the border before the export ban 
was imposed on December 31, 1996 had agreed to help 
Cambodia build border roads or a casino to exchange for the 
right to bring the logs out in the form of processed wood, 
the sources said.
   They claimed Pipat Forestry has dealt in log business 
through a subsidiary for the past one year after it ran 
into a problem of importing logs from Cambodia at the 
Chanthaburi and Trat border front. - Bangkok Post, AP