Ministry moves to close vine factory
The Environment Ministry has asked Koh Kong provincial governor Bun Leut to stop construction of a factory which will process an indigenous vine and which plans to collect the yellow vine in a protected forest area. According to an official letter sent to Mr. Leut dated on November 24 and signed by Environment Minister Say Samal, the ministry found that Jinyian Huanglian Trading and Chhay Ching Heang Group were in the process of constructing a factory to process yellow vine and planned to collect the vine in a protected area. The letter was issued after the ministry was given information on the issue and sent officials to inspect the factory under construction in Koh Kong’s Thma Bang district. Mr. Samal said that processing the indigenous vine was illegal and against the laws governing protected areas and forests. Collecting and processing the yellow vine would have a serious impact on the environment, society, biodiversity and the ecology system in the region, he said.
