Cambodia: Mining licence approved by govt. for KP Cement while other companies operate mining activities in protected Prey Lang area; communities voice environmental and health concerns
"Cement factory approved inside Cambodia’s Prey Lang sanctuary despite mining ban", 28 April 2025
The Cambodian government has signed off on the construction of a new cement factory deep inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, with the factory expected to source limestone for cement production from a mining operation less than 1 kilometer, just over half a mile, from the newly approved site.
This comes despite a November 2023 moratorium on the issuance of new mining licenses in Prey Lang and a halt to the expansion of existing mining businesses operating in the ostensibly protected forest.
The 99-hectare (245-acre) plot of land in Kratie province that’s been earmarked for the cement factory was awarded in January to KP Cement, a politically connected company already operating mining pits in Prey Lang. Mongabay’s previous investigation into KP Cement uncovered rampant deforestation at the company’s mine where limestone and marble are being unearthed, irrevocably altering the ecosystem of Prey Lang…
Over the course of 2023, a mining boom gripped the wildlife sanctuary and saw infamous timber trader Try Pheap pick up some 28,000 hectares (69,200 acres) in new iron ore mining concessions — most of which fall within Prey Lang. On top of this, Chinese-owned Late Cheng Mining Development expanded its gold mine aggressively in a stretch of Prey Lang that sits within Kampong Thom province, while in Stung Treng province, Japan’s Nittetsu Mining is exploring Prey Lang for copper.
… Documents published in the March 2025 edition of Cambodia’s Royal Gazette, which lists new laws and government announcements, show that a 50-year lease on a 99-hectare plot of land inside Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary was awarded to KP Cement on Jan. 13, 2025.
The largest of the additional concessions in Kratie province belongs to Vantage Mining, which appears to have been awarded roughly 533 hectares (1,317 acres) along the border of KP Cement’s concession in Prey Lang. While official documentation announcing the award by the Ministry of Mines and Energy doesn’t appear to be publicly available, the company has marked its marble quarry on Google Maps, accompanied by photos widely shared on social media by a Vantage Mining employee…