Leng Ouch

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 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 violence in his line of work, with him being arrested with other activists multiple times as well as being beaten by logging company employees.^{[7] [8]}

-Leng was awarded the Asian Game Changer Awards in 2017 https://asiasociety.org/video/leng-ouch-accepts-asia-society-asia-game-changer-award?page=429

-Leng was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2016 for his work exposing corruption and illegal logging in Cambodia.^[9]