“Wind Power Developer Faces Probe Over Land Clearing in Mondulkiri Wildlife Sanctuaries”, 30 July 2026

A developer of Cambodia’s first wind farm may have illegally cleared land inside a wildlife sanctuary, a provincial official said. The project has already drawn anger from Indigenous communities in Mondulkiri province.

Has Vibol, director of the Mondulkiri’s Environment Department, said the clearing occurred along the border of the Phnom Prich and Keo Seima wildlife sanctuaries between July 18 and 20. He said the company, SchneiTec Co, “cleared the wrong location.”

“I can’t say with 100% certainty, but experts are working to determine whether the cleared site was an approved location or not,” Vibol said, adding that authorities have halted the excavation while they investigate and have summoned the company to explain.

Vibol said the cleared area covered about half a hectare of tree canopy, including an access road roughly 142 meters long. But CamboJA News reporters who visited the site on July 19 observed multiple roads in the area had a combined length exceeding that figure, and the cleared area appeared larger than half a hectare.

SchneiTec did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company is one of several developing a 900-megawatt (MW) wind farm in the province as part of Cambodia’s push to expand renewable energy and meet rising electricity demand.

Indigenous Bunong communities in the area say land clearing and project activity began with limited consultation, raising concerns over access to ancestral land, livelihoods and cultural sites. Developers linked to the project have also previously been involved in energy infrastructure projects associated with displacement.

“The site we approved for their project is nearby, so this may be a technical error on their part,” Vibol said. “We need to review it again. If the company is at fault, they will be held responsible.”...