Leng Ouch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1975 Takéo Province, Cambodia |
| Occupation | Climate Activist |
| Organization | Cambodia Human Rights Task Forces |
| Awards | 2016 Goldman Prize Recipient Asia |
Leng Ouch is a Cambodian climate activist. He spent his early childhood in the forests in Cambodia and became an activist against illegal logging in Cambodia's forests. [1] [2] He is best known for going undercover to record illegal logging activities in his home country. [3]
Leng Ouch was born in Takéo Province to a family of poor farmers, and he spent most of his childhood during the Khmer Rouge regime as his family migrated between forests and survived by foraging. [1] He spent the early part of his life hiding in the jungles of Cambodia, only beginning his education after his family moved to Phnom Penh in 1980. [1] He worked for his education and earned a scholarship to attend law school; this allowed him to join many human rights organizations and start his career as an activist. [1]
Leng Ouch founded the Cambodia Human Rights Task Forces (CHRTF), an organization for combating deforestation in Cambodia. [4] During the 2000s and 2010s, Leng has gone undercover in often dangerous situations taking photos and recording evidence of illegal logging, [5] which has led to 23 land concessions[ which? ] being cancelled and a major logging company being exposed. [6] Often adopting disguises in his work, Leng has helped uncover thousands of crimes and confiscate timber and logging equipment. [5] Leng has faced danger[ weasel words ] in his line of work, with him being arrested with other activists multiple times. [7] [8] [ quantify ]
Leng was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2016 for his work exposing corruption and illegal logging in Cambodia. [9]
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