arch12

Cambodian Buddhist monks and local people bless large trees by wrapping orange cloth around them and praying. Following uncontrolled forest destruction in the Central Cardamom Protected Forest (CCPF) an eco-warrior monk movement has begun whereby monks and villagers try to protect areas of forest by blessing trees to deter would-be loggers. This is the first tree ordination in a forest area on the edge of Ta Tay Leu village that has just been cleared to make-way for a banana plantation. Whilst they were too late to save the smaller trees they were able to bless and tie orange material around the remaining large trees. A poorly implemented Government project to give people land titles has led to massive deforestation as people claim areas of forest as their own land, chopping down all the trees and turning it in to a plantation. With time it is hoped this Buddhist movement will slow down the destruction. It is also hoped that the movement can help to deter the implementation of a large Chinese funded dam project that would wipe-out 20,000 hectares of pristine forest and produce only a very small amount of power. Several Chinese companies have looked in to this particular project but all have pulled out citing feasibility issues. The most recent company however, Sinohydro, a state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company and one of the world's largest dam builders is now in control of the project. In fact an entire valley called the Areng valley and its nine villages will be submerged if the dam goes ahead plus prime habitat for endangered species such as the Siamese crocodile. With pressure coming from several groups including this one, the second Chinese company, China Guodian decided not to proceed with the dam. But the Cambodian government is still trying to find a Chinese partner to continue the project which will no doubt lead to widespread corruption and massive environmental destruction.