Be the Change Network

Chrauk Tiek Village: As we drove north from Kampong Speu through the afternoon light, toward Aural Mountain, a nail spike flatted our tire in the middle of nowhere. The ensuing tire change and repair took 3 hours. It was well after dark before we arrived in Chrauk Tiek by moto escort with school director, Ngim So Bun, and English teacher, Din Narith, negotiating a path through the night over a heavily potholed road. As I watched a man who lived in a shanty repair a rubber tire by hand with nothing more than a tuna can and some flame, I felt humbled by my total dependence on such ingenious people. And an hour later, with my head slamming against the ceiling of our van with each massive pothole, I noticed red glowing embers in the night. My heart sunk when the glow registered as trunks of burning trees.

The forest destruction since my last visit in 2005 is unbelievable. Andre’s gruff exasperations have increased to a hearty “Holy Shit!� The road is an absolute mess, made much worse in the rainy season by the transport of logs and charcoal. We passed 20 moto trailers carrying charcoal and 16 vans and mini-trucks carrying hardwood in one afternoon, all on their way to Phnom Penh. They stop at several checkpoints along the way and pay their bribes to the forest rangers. A fancy red sports car is parked under the house near the Forest Administration building; along the roadside, whole families covered in soot tend their kilns.

This is the entrance to the famous Cardamom Mountains and the Aural Wildlife Sanctuary, a biological world heritage site; a forest with the most diverse species of flora and fauna in Southeast Asia and the ancestral region of the Souy people. I don’t think even education can stop the onslaught. I felt sick and sad.

In the morning, the children come to school with their parents for an assembly to meet us. It is the first time I get to speak to them one to one, without the pomp and circumstance of the government officials who usually accompany me on my visits. I tell them I am proud of the hard working teachers and students, especially the soccer team. Our teachers taught the children how to play soccer and they won second place in the district tournament. It was their very first sporting event.

I told the students and parents about the learning games I brought, along with a new computer so that more children can study in Din Narith’s class. When I asked who would like to take a music class, everyone raised their hands. I had discussed with Arn Chorn-Pond about bringing a master from his Cambodian Living Arts program here, so the children can be exposed to the traditions of their own culture. The only music they ever hear is Chinese style love songs blaring from the karaoke shop in town. Arn and I want the children to learn the foundation of Cambodian music, so they can write new songs and communicate the message to save the forest through music and dance.

After the assembly, the children played games in the schoolyard and the community leaders gathered to talk to me. My old friend Bun Vana, former community chief, Ek Chun, the Souy village group leader, Prom Thommmacheat, a monk praying for the forest, and Nou Nuon the new Deputy Head of Commune. They are all desperate to stop the forest destruction, especially for the Souy people whose ancestors are forest spirits. Bun Vana was evicted from the community chief position last July in a secret meeting between four higher-ranking officials, and replaced with a newcomer, Vy Sok. The forest has been burning ever since. They feel powerless to stop the destruction.

I asked the children, “who wants to save the trees?� and everyone raised their hands. I asked the community leaders to have everyone in their villages write a letter. The ones who can write can sign their name and the ones who cannot will thumbprint letters written by their children. The children will draw pictures. I asked the Head of Commune, Nou Noun to ask all 7,743 families under his jurisdiction to participate. I don’t know where I am going to take them, but I promised I would not stop until someone takes action.

In the afternoon, the teachers and elders took us to see Buddhism Srei Puos, the forest temple. Thirty monks are praying for the fires to stop burning every night. They tie saffron robes around the trees to make them holy. The monks and community leaders fight the fire, thrashing large branches of green leaves to the ground. We choke on the smoke and our feet are blackened by soot.

Further on we meet with former soldier’s hauling oxcarts full of tree trunks and sawn timber from the mill in the forest. The operation is orchestrated by Mr. Pea, a former Khmer Rouge commander. His kids go to my school.

The monk points to a forest covered mountain in the distance, Phnom Knong Jaik, telling me that is where the forest animals are hiding, tigers, gibbons, sunbears and more. Traps lay all around the base of the mountain and the monks cut them loose at night. He tells me they recently found a Sunbear in a trap and tried to save it, but it died from the wounds with monks praying all around it.

The destruction of this forest is imminent. The winds are blowing hard, the soil turning to sand; the desertification process can be seen and felt. The rains have not come for 4 years. The rivers are drying up. The local people want to stop it, but feel powerless. They know their children’s future is as stake.

Please help us help them.

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