"Environmentalist to be honoured in New York", 31 October 2017

The Goldman Environmental Prize winner Ouch Leng, president of the Cambodian Human Rights Task Force, has been awarded the Asia Game Changer Award for 2017 from the Asia Society.

Mr Leng will go to collect the award in New York on November 1 with eight other winners from around the world.

“I’m excited because the previous winners were famous people,” he said. “I’m wondering why this organisation selected me to get the award this year, because I didn’t submit anything, am not a wealthy person and only protected forests and the environment.”… 

“They recognised my work to change society, that my voice has encouraged young people and citizens to stand up and protect forests and the environment,” he said.

“Moreover, my work has made the government have the willingness to prevent the cross-border transport of timber.

“The government vowed to crackdown on forest crimes and make arrests. How successful it has been is up for debate, but at least the willingness is there.”…

He said he has dedicated his life to environmental protection because no one else was standing up against the powerful government officials and business tycoons looting the country’s forests… 

The Asia Society is a leading educational organisation dedicated to promoting mutual understanding of Asia in a global context and strengthening partnerships among people, leaders and institutions across the fields of the arts, business, culture, education, and policy…