Mother Nature Cambodia posted on Facebook on January 17 that a company owned by the children of Neak Oknha Try Pheap was mining gold in a long-established national park in Ta Bok village, Ta Veng Leu commune, Ta Veng district. It also alleged that the mining polluted important water sources and could threaten local communities, particularly the Indigenous Brao people, naming GLOBAL GREEN (CAMBODIA) ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD.
In response, Ratanakiri’s administration issued a press release on January 19 stating that Global Green (Cambodia) Energy Development did not yet have a licence to mine gold in the national park at Ta Bok village, Ta Veng Leu commune, Ta Veng district, Ratanakiri, and disputing the organisation’s account. It said the administration had consistently acted against offences across the province and that provincial joint teams regularly inspected the area and cracked down on illegal mining. It attributed previous muddy water in Ta Bok stream to heavy wet-season rain, construction along the border belt road and land clearing for cultivation by an economic land concession company.
By: Nget Pisant
