The death of Chut Wutty, a prominent environmental
activist and community mentor who was killed in 2012, stills
weighs heavily on the community. In March 2016, a member
of the network was attacked with a machete while he was
asleep during a patrol. Environmental activists from all
over Cambodia add to this ever-growing list of victims of
violence, so much so that Cambodia was named one of the
most dangerous countries for environmental activists by
Global Witness.
Like nomadic herders, they choose a new home every
night, lying under the cover of darkness to avoid detection,
comforted by the belief they are protected by the Neaktah.
Although their mission carries a sombre purpose, the
Kuy share laughter and stories that remind them of
the sovereignty of the surrounding trees. More than an
environmental patrol, this mission struggles to preserve
the sacred, so that ancestral Kuy practice might endure. agRUOM is a collective of journalists based in Southeast Asia.
Ruom writer Clothilde Le Coz, photographer Antoine Raab
and videographer Thomas Cristofoletti were awarded a
reporting grant from Internews and spent two weeks with
the Kuy community. @RuomCollective and http://www.ruom.netabove Phouk Hong, Loun
Hon and other members
of the network get ready for
a patrol
below Loun Keuth and
Phouk Hong carry a
chainsaw to their tractor
after confiscating it from
a band of illegal loggersculture