One ministry allows yellow vine, one stops it
While one government ministry gave approval to a Chinese company to collect yellow vine in Koh Kong province, another ministry told the provincial governor on November 24 to halt the construction of processing facilities for the vine, according to letters obtained on November 24. The Ministry of Agriculture granted the Chhay Ching Heang Group permission to “collect the forest product yellow vine for traditional medicine purposes” inside Thma Baing district for one year, beginning next month, according to a letter dated October 26 from the ministry’s secretary-general, Lor Raksmey. “I did not sign it on behalf of myself. It’s on behalf of the ministry,” Mr. Raksmey said on November 24, adding that the operation in Russei Chrum commune had not begun processing yellow vine powder. Yellow vine is used in cosmetics and traditional medicine, and has been rumored to be used in the manufacture of ecstasy, although such claims appear dubious.
