freshwater ecosystems – so productive, in fact, that it has
earned the lake the nickname of “Cambodia’s beating heart”.
As Prey Lang’s trees vanish due to the activities of illegal
loggers, so too, the Kuy believe, do the Neaktah spirits.
“If the forest dies, we die,” say many members of the
community, who are fearful that the disappearing spirits
will leave the Kuy people vulnerable.
“Now that the forest is gone, I do not feel like I am
protected anymore,” says Saom Than.Defending their roots
Facing the need for action to stop the destruction of the
forest, the Kuy people rallied together to patrol their
neighbouring forest and monitor any illegal deforestation.
The result of this effort is the Prey Lang Network (PLN),
which was created in 2007. Comprising 339 communities
spanning across four provinces, the network is reliant on
funding from foreign countries and organisations to be able
to coordinate patrols to catch illegal loggers.
Every other month, about 20 members of the network
embark into the forest to catch illegal loggers, using acid to
destroy the internal mechanisms of the chainsaws. The bigger
the group, the less likely they are to encounter violence.
Hong, a 40-year-old farmer and activist, has been
patrolling the forest and rallying her community to protect
it. “I realised what was happening to the forest when I could
not live from collecting resin anymore,” says the vivacious
woman. “We had to act. This is how I joined the Prey Lang
Network and start to become more active.” A mother of five,
she has been relying on Prey Lang’s resources all her life.
“If we do not take care of the forest, who will?” she keeps
asking. Hong knows that this fight is larger than her life,
and so she keeps defending Prey Lang, one log at a time.
Although the network has taken it upon itself to defend
the forest, they do not have any authority to arrest the
loggers or impound the wood and chainsaws.
“When wood is confiscated, we inform the local pagoda
about it and everything is delivered there,” explains Hong.
“We have had very bad experiences with the local authorities
in the past. They never collaborate to protect the forest,
even if it is their duty. The community is doing the
government’s job.”
To Lambrick, their work plays an important role in
raising awareness. “What the network is doing deters small
loggers. But the bigger fish – the ones logging illegally
for large companies – are organised differently and they
treat the forest as if it is their own property,” she explains,
commending the courage of the network.
In late 2015, the PLN was one of the winners of the 2015
Equator Prize, which they received in Paris.
Environmental activists are often harassed by the
Cambodian officials, and it is not uncommon for the
members of the PLN to receive threats from local authorities.The United Nations estimate that the
loss of Prey Lang would not only have
an impact on the climate, but would
also affect at least 1.5 million peopleabove Dum Gnai, 38, from
Srae Veal village, part of the
Thmas Commune