Sand ship: a Cambodian private ship dredges sand in the middle of Mekong river near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: APBy Neil Chatterjee in Singapore
Reuters
Singapore's thirst for sand to increase land reclamation and construction is driving an ecologically damaging sand-dredging industry in Cambodia, according to a report by a non-governmental organisation.
London-based Global Witness said that Cambodia’s sand-dredging industry threatened endangered species, fish stocks and local livelihoods, despite the government’s May 2009 ban on sand-dredging.
“This situation highlights the continued failure of Cambodia’s international donors to use their leverage to hold the small elite surrounding the Prime Minister to account,” said George Boden, campaigner at Global Witness.
"Cambodia's natural resource wealth should be lifting its population out of poverty."
Koy Koung, the spokesman and undersecretary of state at Cambodia's Foreign Affairs Ministry, said he was unable to comment as the government had not seen the Global Witness report.
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