{"id":1058,"date":"2026-09-02T03:36:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T03:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/02\/unicorn778-logging-operations-uncovered-at-cambodian-senators-dam-in-the-cardamoms-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T03:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T03:36:28","slug":"unicorn778-logging-operations-uncovered-at-cambodian-senators-dam-in-the-cardamoms-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/02\/unicorn778-logging-operations-uncovered-at-cambodian-senators-dam-in-the-cardamoms-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 Logging operations uncovered at Cambodian senator\u2019s dam in the Cardamoms Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-328129\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>Construction of the Stung Russei Chrum Kandal hydropower dam inside Phnom Kravanh National Park, one of Cambodia\u2019s largest protected rainforests, began in 2023.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Satellite imagery suggests forest clearance and large-scale logging are happening beyond the authorized construction sites.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Experts say the images reflect a wider pattern in Cambodia of exploitation of licenses for dam development to further illegal logging operations.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are clearing the forest for the reservoir,\u201d said Phan, a resident of O\u2019Soam commune in Cambodia\u2019s western province of Pursat. \u201cThese days, every few days, there is only one timber truck because it is the raining season, but during the dry season, there are three or four timber trucks [per day].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Phan, who spoke to Mongabay by phone, requested that neither his full name nor his village name be published for fear of retribution from the developers of the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/06\/hydropower-dams-further-undermine-redd-efforts-in-cambodia\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">70-megawatt (MW) Stung Russei Chrum Kandal hydropower dam<\/a>, also known as the Middle Russei Chrum River dam.<\/p>\n<p>Construction on the dam, which spans the Russei Chrum River in neighboring Koh Kong province, began in 2023 inside Phnom Kravanh National Park, one of Cambodia\u2019s largest protected rainforests. The dam is one of many <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/12\/new-dams-in-cambodia-pit-green-hydropower-against-redd-project\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">being built in the Cardamoms<\/a> as Cambodia pushes for \u201cclean\u201d energy security, but recent satellite imagery indicates that large-scale logging is happening beyond the authorized construction sites.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_328134\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-328134\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01090701\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_01_03-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"This map shows where the two dams are being built inside Cambodia's protected Kravanh National Park. Image by Emilie Languedoc\/Mongabay.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01090701\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_01_03-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01090701\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_01_03-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01090701\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_01_03-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01090701\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_01_03-2048x1639.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01090701\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_01_03-1200x960.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01090701\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_01_03-610x488.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This map shows where the two dams are being built inside Cambodia\u2019s protected Kravanh National Park. Image by Emilie Languedoc\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Access to the site, Phan added, has been restricted and checkpoints are closely guarded by armed men in Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) uniforms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe used to enter for fishing and laying fishing equipment, yet we are not allowed to enter anymore,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have checkpoints, they have troops \u2014 they say the troops came to protect the forests. But the company set them up as security guards; we cannot get in or get out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The dam\u2019s developers are permitted to clear forest within a 2,898-hectare (7,161-acre) area that the dam\u2019s reservoir will eventually flood. However, satellite imagery indicates that a sawmill has been established just outside of the reservoir area. From here, an extensive network of small roads sprawls out, clearing trees as far as 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) outside the designated reservoir construction site. None of the forest clearance outside of the reservoir area matches with publicly available plans for the dam, and all of it occurs within legally protected forests.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_328135\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-328135\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01092903\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_02_01-Russei-Chrum-Kandal-dam.gif\" alt=\"Satellite imagery reveals a network of what appear to be logging routes cut outside of the dam's reservoir area that connect to what experts agree looks like a sawmill. Image by Emilie Languedoc\/Mongabay.\" width=\"1350\" height=\"1080\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Satellite imagery reveals a network of what appear to be logging routes cut outside of the dam\u2019s reservoir area that connect to what experts agree looks like a sawmill. Image by Emilie Languedoc\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Spanning more than 926,000 hectares (2.3 million acres), about three times the size of Yosemite National Park in the US, Phnom Kravanh is one of Cambodia\u2019s last, best strongholds of old-growth forest. It is home to a <a href=\"https:\/\/kiripost.com\/stories\/cardamoms-survey-discovers-vulnerable-otter-and-13-threatened-species\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">host of endangered species<\/a>, including the smooth-coated otter (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/12427\/164579961\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><em>Lutrogale perspicillata<\/em><\/a>) listed as vulnerable on the IUCN\u2019s Red List, as well as the endangered Asian elephants (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/7140\/45818198\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><em>Elephas maximus<\/em><\/a>), the vulnerable Asiatic black bear (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/22824\/166528664\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><em>Ursus thibetanus<\/em><\/a>) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/video\/2021\/10\/critically-endangered-sunda-pangolin-caught-on-camera-trap-candid-animal-cam\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">critically endangered Sunda pangolin<\/a> (<em>Manis javanica<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>Phnom Kravanh is also the site of Cambodia\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/06\/bengal-tigers-in-cambodia-reintroduction-plan-raises-questions\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">controversial plan to reintroduce tigers<\/a> into the wild, but the habitats of these animals, along with the traditional hunting grounds of the Indigenous communities that reside throughout the Cardamom Mountains, face increasing pressure from hydropower development across Phnom Kravanh National Park and the adjoining Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary. Five dams already operate across these two protected areas, and five more are currently under construction, with planned reservoirs that will collectively span more than 15,000 hectares (37,066 acres).<\/p>\n<p>Around March 2025, a clearing north of the planned reservoir at the Russei Chrum Kandal construction site became visible on satellite imagery. Spanning about 14 hectares (35 acres), the clearing bears the hallmarks of a timber processing facility: stacks resembling sawn timber, and long, narrow buildings akin to those that house band saws typically used for cutting logs. Nearby, a large road has been cut through the forest, crossing the Koh Kong-Pursat provincial border, the imagery suggests. From this road, multiple smaller tracks can be seen spindling off into forested areas.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_328138\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-328138\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094028\/57_SawmillLoggingDamSitesCambodia_03_01-Veal-Thmor-Kambot-dam.gif\" alt=\"Forest clearance seemingly linked to the Veal Thmor Kambot dam has impacted the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project. Image by Emilie Languedoc\/Mongabay.\" width=\"1350\" height=\"1080\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Forest clearance seemingly linked to the Veal Thmor Kambot dam has impacted the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project. Image by Emilie Languedoc\/Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mongabay shared the satellite imagery with two independent forestry experts with extensive experience monitoring forest crimes in Cambodia. Both confirmed that the imagery suggests selective logging, where timber traders seek out the oldest, most valuable species to fell rather than clear-cutting the forest.<\/p>\n<p>One expert wished to remain anonymous, citing their ongoing work in Cambodia, but the other, Marcus Hardtke, noted that the pattern became visible during the dry seasons of 2025 and 2026 and closely resembled a pattern of forest clearance he said he had observed in the same period at the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/06\/history-repeats-as-logging-linked-to-cambodian-hydropower-dam-in-cardamoms\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Stung Meteuk dam<\/a>, which is being built in Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary.<\/p>\n<p>Checkpoints are also visible in the satellite imagery from Russei Chrum Kandal, which \u2014 coupled with the reported presence of RCAF personnel and restricted access to the dam site \u2014 suggests forest clearance could not happen without the dam developer\u2019s knowledge.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_328140\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-328140 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094301\/Russei-Chrum-Kandal-sawmill-Google-Earth-July-1-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Satellite imagery from July 2026 shows what experts agree is a sawmill situated just north of the Russei Chrum Kandal dam's reservoir. Image sourced from Google Earth.\" width=\"1485\" height=\"1012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094301\/Russei-Chrum-Kandal-sawmill-Google-Earth-July-1-2026.jpg 1485w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094301\/Russei-Chrum-Kandal-sawmill-Google-Earth-July-1-2026-768x523.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094301\/Russei-Chrum-Kandal-sawmill-Google-Earth-July-1-2026-1200x818.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094301\/Russei-Chrum-Kandal-sawmill-Google-Earth-July-1-2026-610x416.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1485px) 100vw, 1485px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Satellite imagery from July 2026 shows what experts agree is a sawmill situated just north of the Russei Chrum Kandal dam\u2019s reservoir. Image sourced from Google Earth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Likewise, further south in Koh Kong, the site of the 100 MW Veal Thmor Kambot dam displays similar signs of illegal logging, according to satellite imagery. What appears to be a sawmill resembling the one seen at the Russei Chrum Kandal dam site is established in the same time frame. There are also snaking paths extending up to 5 km (3 mi) from the boundaries of the planned reservoir site visible in satellite imagery.<\/p>\n<p>The Veal Thmor Kambot dam is situated inside both the Phnom Kravanh National Park and the Southern Cardamoms REDD+ project area, the flagship conservation project of local NGO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wildlifealliance.org\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Wildlife Alliance<\/a>, which has long <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2025\/03\/indigenous-community-calls-out-cambodian-redd-project-as-tensions-simmer-in-the-cardamoms\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">faced scrutiny<\/a> for alleged human rights abuses while failing to prevent the development of hydropower projects that drive deforestation.<\/p>\n<p>John Willis, CEO of Wildlife Alliance, did not respond to written questions sent by Mongabay.<\/p>\n<p>Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth read but did not respond to questions sent by Mongabay via Telegram, a messaging app popular with Cambodian officials. Sophalleth has <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/09\/cambodian-environment-minister-bans-logging-at-tycoons-cardamoms-hydropower-project\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">previously issued logging bans<\/a> at the construction sites of hydropower dams where illegal timber felling was suspected of happening.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_328141\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-328141\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094422\/Veal-Thmor-Kambot-sawmill-Google-Earth-March-29-2026.jpg\" alt=\"What appear to be stacks of cut timber can be seen in March 2026 satellite imagery of the Veal Thmor Kambot dam construction site. Image sourced from Google Earth.\" width=\"1485\" height=\"1012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094422\/Veal-Thmor-Kambot-sawmill-Google-Earth-March-29-2026.jpg 1485w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094422\/Veal-Thmor-Kambot-sawmill-Google-Earth-March-29-2026-768x523.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094422\/Veal-Thmor-Kambot-sawmill-Google-Earth-March-29-2026-1200x818.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01094422\/Veal-Thmor-Kambot-sawmill-Google-Earth-March-29-2026-610x416.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1485px) 100vw, 1485px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What appear to be stacks of cut timber can be seen in March 2026 satellite imagery of the Veal Thmor Kambot dam construction site. Image sourced from Google Earth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>The Cambodians stripping the Cardamoms\u2019 forests<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The silence of both the government and its conservation NGO partners is part of a broader pattern, according to Hardtke, the forest crimes expert.<\/p>\n<p>He cited the vast tracts of rosewood <a href=\"https:\/\/phnompenhpost.com\/national\/calculus-logging\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">logged during hydropower development<\/a> in Pursat province between 2009-2012 by companies linked to Try Pheap, a close advisor of then-Prime Minister Hun Sen who has since been sanctioned by the <a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/news\/press-releases\/sm849\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">U.S. Treasury Department for alleged corruption<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe conservation groups nominally managing the affected protected areas didn\u2019t intervene actively, being controlled by a complicit Ministry of Environment, and, at best, were trying to record the illicit timber flows, often over years, but they never officially published related data,\u201d recalled Hardtke.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/m.freshnews.com.kh\/localnews\/296665-2023-06-22-23-34-26.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Khmer Electrical Power was listed as the developer<\/a> of both the Russei Chrum Kandal dam and the Veal Thmor Kambot dam in 2023. The company was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=993181319847307&amp;set=a.121282010370580&amp;type=3\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">looking for staff<\/a> in the Russei Chrum area as recently as May 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Khmer Electrical Power is part of Anco Brothers, a conglomerate run by Kok An, a senator for the ruling Cambodian People\u2019s Party. Mongabay sent questions to email addresses listed for An\u2019s companies in Cambodia\u2019s commerce records, but none had replied at the time of publication.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_328149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-328149\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01100231\/Keo-Rottanak-Kok-An-and-Ly-Yong-Phat-December-2024-Russei-Chrum-Kandal-dam.jpg\" alt=\"Cambodian Minister of Energy Keo Rottanak (far left in right aisle) sits next to Khmer Electrical Power chairman Kok An (second from left in right aisle) accompanied by infamous tycoon Ly Yong Phat (far right in right aisle). Image sourced from Keo Rottanak's official Facebook page.\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01100231\/Keo-Rottanak-Kok-An-and-Ly-Yong-Phat-December-2024-Russei-Chrum-Kandal-dam.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01100231\/Keo-Rottanak-Kok-An-and-Ly-Yong-Phat-December-2024-Russei-Chrum-Kandal-dam-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01100231\/Keo-Rottanak-Kok-An-and-Ly-Yong-Phat-December-2024-Russei-Chrum-Kandal-dam-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01100231\/Keo-Rottanak-Kok-An-and-Ly-Yong-Phat-December-2024-Russei-Chrum-Kandal-dam-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/01100231\/Keo-Rottanak-Kok-An-and-Ly-Yong-Phat-December-2024-Russei-Chrum-Kandal-dam-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cambodian Minister of Energy Keo Rottanak (far left in right aisle) sits next to Khmer Electrical Power chairman Kok An (second from left in right aisle) accompanied by infamous tycoon Ly Yong Phat (far right in right aisle). Image sourced from Keo Rottanak\u2019s official Facebook page.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An\u2019s business portfolio encompasses tobacco, water and electrical utilities, casinos and real estate, but he is perhaps most famous for his alleged involvement in the human trafficking and online frauds that fueled scam compounds across Cambodia and saw him <a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/news\/press-releases\/sb0469\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department<\/a> in April 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Just months later, in July, the Thai government issued an arrest warrant for An, who previously had close ties to Thailand, dubbing him the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/spotlight\/society\/crime\/thailand-strikes-at-cambodia-with-raids-on-tycoon-kok-an-s-properties\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Godfather of Poipet<\/a>\u201d, a town on the Thai-Cambodian border notorious for gambling and from where An\u2019s Crown Casino Resort was suspected to host cyber-scam operations. Thai authorities seized <a href=\"https:\/\/world.thaipbs.or.th\/detail\/60408\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">some 560 million baht<\/a> (roughly $17 million) worth of An\u2019s assets and revoked his <a href=\"https:\/\/world.thaipbs.or.th\/detail\/cambodian-scam-bosss-residence-his-three-childrens-thai-citizenships-revoked\/59509\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">residence visa<\/a>, along with the Thai citizenship of his three children. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/27041354?seq=4\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">An<\/a>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/27041354?seq=4\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">son is married to the daughter<\/a> of Ly Yong Phat, another prominent ruling party senator, who has also been <a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/news\/press-releases\/jy2576\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">sanctioned by the U.S. government<\/a> for his alleged role in cyber-scams and who is also building a dam in the Cardamoms <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/06\/history-repeats-as-logging-linked-to-cambodian-hydropower-dam-in-cardamoms\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">linked to illegal logging operations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Kok An, Ly Yong Phat and Minister of Energy and Mines Keo Rottanak were all spotted at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo?fbid=977072371120236&amp;set=pcb.977072527786887\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">December 2024<\/a> closing of a Russei Chrum River ceremony to mark a milestone in the dam\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_296027\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-296027\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/03\/19062114\/DJI_0004-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"In October 2024, deforestation linked to the construction of the Middle Russei Chrum dam was already spilling over into the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project area. Image by Gerald Flynn \/ Mongabay.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/03\/19062114\/DJI_0004-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/03\/19062114\/DJI_0004-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/03\/19062114\/DJI_0004-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/03\/19062114\/DJI_0004-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/03\/19062114\/DJI_0004-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/03\/19062114\/DJI_0004-610x407.jpg 610w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/03\/19062114\/DJI_0004-350x233.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In October 2024, deforestation linked to the construction of the Middle Russei Chrum dam was already spilling over into the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project area. Image by Gerald Flynn \/ Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Just months after this ceremony, stacks of timber and networks of small roads began to appear, according to the satellite imagery, showing deforestation far beyond the boundaries approved for the reservoir construction.<\/p>\n<p>While Mongabay has not been able to independently trace the movements of that timber, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.meatophoum.com\/article\/9926.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">local media reported in July 2026<\/a> that trucks belonging to Khmer Electrical Power were stopped and searched in Kandal province. The trucks had been permitted to transport saplings, but were instead found to be laden with grade 1 timber \u2013 the second most valuable grade in Cambodia beneath luxury timber.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether this timber was transported from either of the dams, but according to Hardtke, the exploitation of licenses to clear reservoirs should come as no surprise given the long track record in Cambodia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery hydropower construction project in Cambodia in the last two decades has been massively abused for large-scale, organized illegal logging operations by regime cronies, especially in the Cardamom Mountains,\u201d Hardtke said.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image: <\/strong>Smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata). Image by JJ Harrison \u2013 Own work via Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div id=\"cite-article\" class=\"align-left banner bg-brand-color crossref-doi outlined ph--16 pv--16\">\n<h2>Cite this article<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"crossref-doi\">Gerald Flynn (2026). Logging operations uncovered at Cambodian senator\u2019s dam in the Cardamoms. Mongabay Conservation news. DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-328129\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-328129<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9107d4825c02b08157c0fcd5d76225369727ff199bbfc6285f277af6d67d3d73?s=32&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9107d4825c02b08157c0fcd5d76225369727ff199bbfc6285f277af6d67d3d73?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; Construction of the Stung Russei Chrum Kandal hydropower dam inside Phnom Kravanh National Park,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,2750,2752,1682,1693,14,2748,9,11,2751,13,10,2749,2],"class_list":["post-1058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-bermain","tag-cambodian","tag-cardamoms","tag-dam","tag-logging","tag-online","tag-operations","tag-peluang","tag-saat","tag-senators","tag-slot","tag-terburuk","tag-uncovered","tag-unicorn778"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1058"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1058\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}