Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday he decided to choose environment protection, not to choose 30 billion U.S. dollar expected revenues from the exploitation of titanium ore in Southwestern Cambodia.

"According to a feasibility study, titanium ore deposit in Chhiphat district in Koh Kong province is estimated at the value of 30 billion U.S. dollars, but to exploit the mineral, it is required to destroy about 20,000 hectares of forest," he said during the inauguration of an automotive electronic parts factory in the province.

"To protect environment, I decided not to grant an exploitation license to a company to exploit it because if we allow the exploitation, it will not only destroy forest and wildlife habitat, but it will also pollute sea water," he said.

"Keeping the mineral under the ground will never spoil, and it will be never late to exploit it even in 200 years later," the premier said.

Hun Sen announced in April last year not to grant an exploitation license to a local company Khmer United Group to exploit titanium ore in the province, citing concerns over environment, biological diversity and people living in the area.

The firm said at the time that the area has the potential to produce 35 million tons of titanium.

Koh Kong province is situated some 271 kilometers Southwest of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Endi

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