Mrs. Seng Sophea, 28-year-old widow with 2 children, begging all organizations and government for justice for her husband, who were killed since September 2005, accused of stealing rubber. (Photo: SRP)
Mrs. Phan Rith, 20 years old widow holding her one year old son, pleading for authorities to find justice for her husband, who were killed on April 14, 2006 (Cambodian New Year day), accused of stealing a small amount of rubber. (Photo: SRP)02 July 2006
By Or Phearith,
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
Workers in the rubber plantations in Kompong Cham told reporters about the hardship they usually faced from the continuous punitions by shoot-to-kill tactics used on them when they steal a very small amount of rubber to sell in order to be able to buy food to eat.
This declaration was made by workers in the rubber plantations, the majority of whom are widows whose husband were shot and killed by the private guards of the rubber plantation.
On 20 June, the Sam Rainsy Party organized a press conference featuring 30 workers from rubber plantations whose family members were victims of shooting from the private guards of the rubber plantation, in order to expose the [violent] use of guns in rubber plantations.
Seng Sophea, a villager from the Chamkar Andaung commune, Chamkar Leu district, Kompong Cham province, told reporters that her husband was taken and shot after he was accused of stealing rubber from the company to sell.
Seng Sophea said: “They [the rubber plantation people] accused my husband of take rubber out [of the plantation], but my husband did not go out [for that], my husband went to fetch our child from his birth village. When he got back, they called my husband for questioning while he was at the ball field. My husband left with them, a short while later, they shot my husband dead at the incident place, at the house of Kim Chhun. The killer’s name is Khan, he is a guard. I sent my petition to the court, it is now in 2006 already, and they did not find justice for me yet. Please help me find justice, please arrest this killer so that he does not torture people anymore.”
Phan Rith, another widow from the Chamkar Andaung commune, said during the press conference, that her husband was shot dead when he tried to take some rubber to sell during the Cambodian New Year.
Phan Rith said: “In my village, Village 33, Chamkar Andaung commune, my husband died for 5 kilos of rubber on New Year day, he took the rubber to sell to get some money to celebrate the New Year. They shot and killed my husband on that day. I ask all organizations to help me find justice, and arrest the killer so that he can be punished by the law.”
Neang Savath, the Adhoc NGO human rights representative in Kompong Cham, also gave an interview criticizing the private guards who generally did not receive the proper training, when they are handed guns, all they do is use violence without fear [of reprisal from the law].
Neang Savath said: “In the past, based on my observations, the rubber plantations select the “chhlob” [army spies from the Khmer Rouge era] to be the guards. They are cruel, and they used to perform violent acts, they are trusted with guns [by the plantation owners]. When they don’t have gun, they are docile like sheep, but when they have a gun, they are more cruel than a tiger, they shoot on anything. They based their action on an old slogan which says that when the gun is armed, even cow dung must be shot at, the bullet must not be saved.”
Prime minister Hun Sen had publicly declared on radio and television in the past, the rule for the use of guns in the country. He said that those who hold guns must avoid reaching the use of violence, and that he wanted to have stricter laws against those who use [violence].
Prime minister Hun Sen declared: “… [we should] strengthen the control of guns and ammunitions at all levels, in particular, we should decrease the use of guns in non necessary cases, and guns must be stored at a very safe place. All infractions involving the use of guns must be dealt with very strict state laws …”
In response to the issue raised by the workers and human rights officials on the application of prime minister Hun Sen’s order, Sek Thoeun, the police commissioner of the province of Kompong Cham, gave an interview in which he admitted that he observed the repeated use of violence by the private guards on the workers in the past. He said that these acts, he should deal with them according to the law, but instead, he said that all these acts had already been resolved by confiscating the guns from the private guards, and the dismantling of this private guards unit.
Sek Thoeun indicated that: “Incidents did occur in places such as in the Chamkar Andaung rubber plantation, we confiscated all the guns from the private guards. Then we diamntled the private guards unit formed by the rubber plantation company. We are increasing our police force, the police force in the rubber plantation, the district police force, in order to strengthen the defense of stability there. We are moving progressively towards doing the same thing in other rubber plantations.”
Even with the declaration made by the police force to confiscate guns from the private guards and the dismantling of private guards unit, workers in the rubber plantation are still worried.
Chan Na, a rubber plantation worker in Chamkar Leu district, expressed his worries explaining that the police force and the private guards have the same goal: that is to arrest those who collect small amounts of rubber rejects, to protect the interest of the owners alike: “I still worry the same, the private guards have been confiscated of their guns, but when the police force arrived, they do have guns also. Therefore, I am still worried and afraid the same because the police force are coming only to arrest [those who steal] rubber, the same as before…”
This worry corroborates with a report issued by human rights officials who indicated that on 28 June, police force protecting a rubber plantation for a businessman in Svay Meas village, Ta Ong commune, Chamkar Leu district, shot guns to threaten a group of youngsters who are collecting rubber rejects on the ground to sell to another company rather than to the one these police officers are protecting. Human right workers indicated that the company protected by the police officers pay too little [for these rubber rejects collected], they also said that the law should deal with these youngsters, the police officers should not shoot to threaten them.
Neang Savath, the Adhoc representative, believes that even if the guns are in the hands of the police officers, if these police officers are not punished or demoted for the unlawful use of guns, they have no fear and this could lead to chaos when those sent to provide security ended up creating insecurity instead.
This declaration was made by workers in the rubber plantations, the majority of whom are widows whose husband were shot and killed by the private guards of the rubber plantation.
On 20 June, the Sam Rainsy Party organized a press conference featuring 30 workers from rubber plantations whose family members were victims of shooting from the private guards of the rubber plantation, in order to expose the [violent] use of guns in rubber plantations.
Seng Sophea, a villager from the Chamkar Andaung commune, Chamkar Leu district, Kompong Cham province, told reporters that her husband was taken and shot after he was accused of stealing rubber from the company to sell.
Seng Sophea said: “They [the rubber plantation people] accused my husband of take rubber out [of the plantation], but my husband did not go out [for that], my husband went to fetch our child from his birth village. When he got back, they called my husband for questioning while he was at the ball field. My husband left with them, a short while later, they shot my husband dead at the incident place, at the house of Kim Chhun. The killer’s name is Khan, he is a guard. I sent my petition to the court, it is now in 2006 already, and they did not find justice for me yet. Please help me find justice, please arrest this killer so that he does not torture people anymore.”
Phan Rith, another widow from the Chamkar Andaung commune, said during the press conference, that her husband was shot dead when he tried to take some rubber to sell during the Cambodian New Year.
Phan Rith said: “In my village, Village 33, Chamkar Andaung commune, my husband died for 5 kilos of rubber on New Year day, he took the rubber to sell to get some money to celebrate the New Year. They shot and killed my husband on that day. I ask all organizations to help me find justice, and arrest the killer so that he can be punished by the law.”
Neang Savath, the Adhoc NGO human rights representative in Kompong Cham, also gave an interview criticizing the private guards who generally did not receive the proper training, when they are handed guns, all they do is use violence without fear [of reprisal from the law].
Neang Savath said: “In the past, based on my observations, the rubber plantations select the “chhlob” [army spies from the Khmer Rouge era] to be the guards. They are cruel, and they used to perform violent acts, they are trusted with guns [by the plantation owners]. When they don’t have gun, they are docile like sheep, but when they have a gun, they are more cruel than a tiger, they shoot on anything. They based their action on an old slogan which says that when the gun is armed, even cow dung must be shot at, the bullet must not be saved.”
Prime minister Hun Sen had publicly declared on radio and television in the past, the rule for the use of guns in the country. He said that those who hold guns must avoid reaching the use of violence, and that he wanted to have stricter laws against those who use [violence].
Prime minister Hun Sen declared: “… [we should] strengthen the control of guns and ammunitions at all levels, in particular, we should decrease the use of guns in non necessary cases, and guns must be stored at a very safe place. All infractions involving the use of guns must be dealt with very strict state laws …”
In response to the issue raised by the workers and human rights officials on the application of prime minister Hun Sen’s order, Sek Thoeun, the police commissioner of the province of Kompong Cham, gave an interview in which he admitted that he observed the repeated use of violence by the private guards on the workers in the past. He said that these acts, he should deal with them according to the law, but instead, he said that all these acts had already been resolved by confiscating the guns from the private guards, and the dismantling of this private guards unit.
Sek Thoeun indicated that: “Incidents did occur in places such as in the Chamkar Andaung rubber plantation, we confiscated all the guns from the private guards. Then we diamntled the private guards unit formed by the rubber plantation company. We are increasing our police force, the police force in the rubber plantation, the district police force, in order to strengthen the defense of stability there. We are moving progressively towards doing the same thing in other rubber plantations.”
Even with the declaration made by the police force to confiscate guns from the private guards and the dismantling of private guards unit, workers in the rubber plantation are still worried.
Chan Na, a rubber plantation worker in Chamkar Leu district, expressed his worries explaining that the police force and the private guards have the same goal: that is to arrest those who collect small amounts of rubber rejects, to protect the interest of the owners alike: “I still worry the same, the private guards have been confiscated of their guns, but when the police force arrived, they do have guns also. Therefore, I am still worried and afraid the same because the police force are coming only to arrest [those who steal] rubber, the same as before…”
This worry corroborates with a report issued by human rights officials who indicated that on 28 June, police force protecting a rubber plantation for a businessman in Svay Meas village, Ta Ong commune, Chamkar Leu district, shot guns to threaten a group of youngsters who are collecting rubber rejects on the ground to sell to another company rather than to the one these police officers are protecting. Human right workers indicated that the company protected by the police officers pay too little [for these rubber rejects collected], they also said that the law should deal with these youngsters, the police officers should not shoot to threaten them.
Neang Savath, the Adhoc representative, believes that even if the guns are in the hands of the police officers, if these police officers are not punished or demoted for the unlawful use of guns, they have no fear and this could lead to chaos when those sent to provide security ended up creating insecurity instead.
3 comments:
Comon pity people, stop crying; GO BURN THE PLANTATIONS.
I think cambodian are not that smart they need people who know how. Yes burning th plantation is good too, even better the the fuck boss when he come around.
I say blood for blood, If I know who for sure that the private guard who is killing my Husband or family members, I would walk up to him and blow his fucking head up with my shot gun. That's is only way you find justice in Cambodia..not other way..
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