Once, evergreen forests stretched across Southeast Asia. Now the largest forest of this kind lies next to the Mekong River in Cambodia, and it is unprotected.
Custodians of the land and forest since before recorded history, the rhythms of Kuy traditions, beliefs, medicines and livelihoods are interwoven with existence of Prey Lang Forest.
Already there are mines, logging and rubber plantations. But these are small scale compared to what is coming next. International investment in mining, roads, plantations and dams could turn Prey Lang into an industrial estate with just a few years.
Once already the Kuy rose up to save Prey Lang from logger’s chainsaws. But more is needed than patrolling and advocacy. It is going to take the outside world waking up to the human and environmental imperative to save Prey Lang and the Kuy people.
Before the axe falls.