Background
The Ministry of Environment conducts coordinated field enforcement in protected areas through the General Directorate of Protected Areas and provincial environment offices as a governance mechanism to detect and halt illegal land conversion within wildlife sanctuaries. Article 851(c) of Cambodia’s Environmental and Natural Resources Code prohibits cutting, clearing, or burning forest land for the purpose of claiming it as private property.
Recent operations in Siem Reap province targeted land encroachment and conversion inside Bueng Per Wildlife Sanctuary, Phnom Tnout–Phnom Pok Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kulen–Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary. The enforcement activity combined on-the-ground inspections, investigations by the northern protected-areas conservation department and Siem Reap provincial environment office, and the use of satellite imagery and drones as part of monitoring and evidence-gathering procedures.
Scope of Application
The enforcement actions applied to designated protected areas in Siem Reap province where wildlife sanctuaries are subject to national protected-area regulations and criminal provisions under the environmental code. Field checks covered identified sites of recent encroachment and land-use conversion inside Bueng Per Wildlife Sanctuary, Phnom Tnout–Phnom Pok Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kulen–Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary.
Key Provisions or Decisions
Authorities documented a total of 140 encroachment sites across the three sanctuaries. In Bueng Per Wildlife Sanctuary teams recorded 129 sites totaling 330.09 hectares; in Phnom Tnout–Phnom Pok they recorded 10 sites totaling 18.53 hectares; and in Kulen–Promtep they recorded 1 site totaling 0.25 hectares. Suspected offenders were investigated by the General Directorate of Protected Areas, the Northern Protected Areas Conservation Department (Tonle Sap region), and the Siem Reap Provincial Environment Office, and were detained pending legal procedures in March–April 2026.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
Operators and land users near or within protected areas should ensure any land-use activity is authorised under protected-area rules and national environmental law. Violations involving clearing, burning, or converting forest land can trigger criminal investigation and prosecution under the cited legal provision, and enforcement actions may include seizure of evidence, detention of suspects, and case preparation for court.
Official Source
Ministry of Environment Facebook post, 3 June 2026: https://www.facebook.com/MinistryOfEnvironmentCambodia/posts/pfbid0gJtFWehK6WUq3mtXcuPggS76kH9qPFs438E5S1uU3qWFxku8DWUJaMPo5BBgjG9yl
