It is anticipated that although there are Royal Decree-legislation No. 35, dated 25 June 1998 on forest management, Royal Decree issued on 11 November, 1993 on protected areas, the existing law of environmental protections and nature management issued on 24

December 1996, and other forest regulations which are gradually enforced in different

periodical stages in order to halt forest offense, some illegal forest cutters still continue to cut and destroy forest resources.

As a matter of fact, the government is fully aware that the forest anarchy has ironically

threatened the forest resource and if the present activities still continue, they will be completely destroyed. the loss of forests will, as a result, affect the balance of agro- ecological systems and fishery in Cambodia in the future.

In the past, forest used to play and important role, to absorb great amount of rainwater, prevent soil erosion, and keep water resources beneath the earth, and reduce natural disasters such as floods and draughts. Additionally, if there are no forest, the rainwater will remove delta and carry them to Tonle Sap Lake, affecting areas of fish spawning and rice production in the plain areas. Similarly, a core of thoughtless of people was threatening wildlife species and as a result, some of the wildlife species escaped from Cambodia and other species completely disappeared.

The invasion of forest lands into the protected areas in the forms of military and agricultural development areas and personal property is also another problem which need solving immediately and effectively. The government sets some regulations to prevent forest offenses but they are not fully and continuously applied. Which waiting for adaptation of a new law on forest protection and management, the government has issued a press release on 22 October 1998, and followed by a statement of principle policy on 20 November 1998:

1. To stop immediately and completely all anarchy forest harvesting, purchase/sale and transportation at all forms and throughout the country, except legal timber business in forest concession areas with legal permission and under the strict technical control of competent department forestry. In case, timber/woods needed for local/in-country utilization have to be bought from legal forest harvesting in concession areas in the rate of 10%- 70% of annual plan of forest harvesting with reasonable price set by department of forestry.
2. Managing and controlling forest, and non-timber forest products must be under the control of forestry competence of all levels. Authorities at all levels, concerned institutes, and powerful people must immediately stop interfering and violation forest affairs.
3. Put an end to allow transportation of logs/timbers without charge.
4. Re-enforce new regulations to authority concerned to stop collecting " old fall or anarchical logs/timbers. All regulations must be enhanced at all levels to stop

collecting, buying and transporting timber/logs in the form of anarchy or their application become void and cancelled. All legal procedures will be filed to the court for all kinds of anarchical act on logging concessions.

5. For the sake of forest sustainability regarding as scarce natural resources and natural protection, stop issuing new forest concession licenses to any company or individual, turning lands with degraded forest of agricultural and industrial lands must be granted by the government via the Ministry of Agriculture, forest and fisheries (MAFF). The MAFF, (Department of forestry) has to immediately mark boundary border for preparatory forest areas and submit it to the government for approval.
6. Re-examine agreements of forest concession areas and cancel any agreements which have not been applied yet or have been applied, not in accordance with the agreements. The concession forest confiscated were regarded as protected areas and are not offered to any company.
7. For concession forest, which have been legally harvested, the timber processions must be additionally equipped based on the agreements in order to increase values of timbers and employment for local citizens. And the company must be encouraged to follow strictly forest harvesting plans and technical principles especially reforestation in forest cut and degraded areas.
8. Completely ban the continuation of export of logs and saw timber while timber processed product permitted to export must be from logs of annual prey coups "defined cutting areas "of concession forests.
9. Completely suppress catching, hunting and transporting all types of wildlife animals. All buy/sale-animal places must be eliminated.
10. Immediately stop allocation of natural forestlands or reforestation fields and used as personal belongings. All authorization licenses regarding forests must be completely banned until the boundaries of forests are officially approved.
11. Encourage reforestation in the areas of degraded forests in all provinces and towns and community forestry in order to forest and protect as many forests as possible to provide people with "energy "wood (firewood, charcoal) and encourage people to use other energies instead of firewood and charcoal. Ministries of economy and finance should, regularly, provide national budget for reforestation as annually planed.
12. Local authorities at all levels, all types of armed forces must avail the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries Department of Forestry to effectively prevent and suppress forest and wildlife offences such as sawmills, transportation means, and other materials which are used for anarchic forest activities. when requested for interventions by the expert units, armed forces and local authorities must honestly and effectively suppress by using any measures, including military measures.
13. Not grant unofficial exemptions of profits/taxes to any concession holders.
14. Any individual or company creating anarchic forest activities, either directly or

indirectly or indirectly, guarding illegal businessmen or transporting illegal logs/timbers and wildlife animals must be fined or his post must be confiscated depending on the scale of his illegal activities and must sentenced according to the existing law. Continue to grant award to government officials who successfully suppress forest and fishery offenses as defined by the Ministry of Commerce and finance.

15. To have highly effective, legal foundations of forest protection and management as mentioned above, the government works hard to redraft law on forest protection and management to be adopted by the National Assembly in the near future based on timing and practical forest situations and in accordance with the international law. In the meantime, the MAFF drafts regulations of technical forest implementations for concession companies and/or holders to operate their businesses.
16. The MAFF must report to the government the achievements and constraints for practical measures.
17. The MoE has to set up a mechanism to follow up this declaration's statement.

After read and saw this declaration, the ministries, institutions, secretariat of the Royal Army Forces, National Department of Police, and the local authorities at all levels, must demonstrate the measures with high responsibility and efficacy.

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