PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen said that higher-ups were taking advantage of a busy election season to encroach on state land; he knows there are rich and powerful government officials behind some of these cases.

Speaking at the inauguration of a new building at the Royal Academy of Justice on the morning of June 6, he said, "Some of our powerful people do that. Rich people pay others to cut down trees and put the land in their name. The money doesn’t go to the people, it goes to the rich.”

The PM ordered the relevant ministries and authorities to prevent these cases and take strict action against the perpetrators. He also stressed that the status of officials and powerful people does not put them above the law.

"To the officials involved in this matter, please don’t blame me. We cannot excuse the police or court officials [who have committed a crime]. I will not arrest the court, but I will arrest corrupt officials.”

The PM claimed that legal measures must be taken no matter if the guilty party is poor or rich. "This is state property. The forests of the nation cannot be overlooked," he said.