Cambodian environmental activist killed

Prominent environmental activist Chut Wutty has been killed in Koh Kong province in south-west Cambodia, working to prevent the destruction of the forests he fought for 15 years to conserve.

Chut Wutty was shot in the remote jungles he fought tirelessly to protect from illegal logging. A military police officer was also killed in the incident.

The Director of the Phnom Penh based Natural Resource Protection Group, a Cambodian NGO that campaigns against the destruction of the country’s forests, Wutty was an outspoken critic of illegal logging activities.

Chut Wutty was instrumental in helping monitor and investigate illegal logging and was well known for confronting those he accused of illegal logging across the country.

Fauna & Flora International’s Joe Heffernan said, “Wutty was a ‘boots-on-the-ground’ conservationist, always willing to confront issues of poaching and illegal logging head-on. He did things his own way. Wutty had tremendous determination and persistence over many tough years, and his contribution to the conservation of the Cardamom Mountains and its wildlife was critical.”

Fauna & Flora International sends condolences to Wutty’s family and friends. Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding his death, we ask the world to focus on what so concerned and drove Wutty – the plight of Cambodia’s forests.