30 August 2006
By Ouk Sav Bory
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
People who are trying to obtain a national ID in Tramkâk commune, Takeo province, complain that they have to spend 6 to 7,000 riels (US$1.50 to 1.75) each.
A crowd of people is gathering in front of Wat Ang Thnoat primary school, Ang Tasom commune, to try to apply for a national ID. The crowd said that it was the only day the police officers are here for this purpose. Villagers had to sell their chickens, ducks, or borrow money from others in order to register to get their ID today.
People in the crowd said that first, the police officers are demanding each person pay the commune police 1,000 riels ($0.25) to obtain a number. Next, they were asked to pay 5,000 riels ($1.25) to obtain the ID application form. Then, if someone needs the police officers’ help to fill the application form without any mistake, the police would ask for 500 to 1,000 riels ($0.13 to $0.25) for each sheet filled. Finally, they have to wait for the police to take their picture to assure that one day they will receive their ID, even though nobody knows when the ID will be issued to them.
Sim Muth, a woman living in Prey Peay village, Ang Tasom commune, said that she sold two chickens so that four of her children and two of her grandchildren could apply for their IDs. When she arrived [for the registration], the police asked her to buy six application forms, one for each applicant. She did not have enough money to buy the six application forms which would cost her 30,000 riels ($7.50).
She begged the police to lower the price, however, the police refused, and two of her children and her two grandchildren had to go back home empty handed: “At that time, I did not have money. Two grandchildren and two children went back home, we don’t have money.”
Sam Hieng, a woman from Prey Peay village also, said that she sold one “tao” (15 kilos) of rice and got 7,500 riels ($1.88) for her child to apply for a national ID today: “I sold a basketful of rice yesterday to get the money for my child to apply for an ID. The sale brought me 7,500 riels, I had to pay 5,000 riels for the application form.”
Sok Mao, a woman from Sman Pream village, said that she only has 8,000 riels ($2) for her two children to apply for an ID. She begged the people (police officers) who sell the application form to lower the price to 8,000 riels. They did not agree to her begging, and she had to borrow money from others so that her children can apply for an ID today: “I sold two chickens for two children [IDs]. I gave them 8,000 riels, they did not accept it, they said it is 10,000 riels and there is no bargaining.”
Hun Vanna, one of the police officers from the Takeo provincial office who came to distribute the ID application in Ang Tasom commune, said there is not set price of 5,000 riels for the application of a national ID, the officers are asking for whatever the villagers can afford to give to them voluntarily as a gratitude: “The asking of money is only to ask the villagers donation to buy food, however, not everybody give us something. I only ask, some would give as much as they want, there is no fixed price.”
To the contrary, the crowd which gathered to provide information to reporters in front of the police officers said that it was not a volunteer donation request as the officers claimed.
Srey Sam, the commune chief of Sre Ronaung, said the police officers are indeed asking money for the application of national IDs, and that in his commune, a lot of people did not go to apply for an ID because they don’t have money to pay the police officers.
Chea Vann, Tramkâk deputy district chief, confirmed that the police officers took money for the application of national IDs. The provincial and district authorities, as well as the provincial level police are still evaluating on a mean to stop the officers from taking money from people applying for their IDs.
A crowd of people is gathering in front of Wat Ang Thnoat primary school, Ang Tasom commune, to try to apply for a national ID. The crowd said that it was the only day the police officers are here for this purpose. Villagers had to sell their chickens, ducks, or borrow money from others in order to register to get their ID today.
People in the crowd said that first, the police officers are demanding each person pay the commune police 1,000 riels ($0.25) to obtain a number. Next, they were asked to pay 5,000 riels ($1.25) to obtain the ID application form. Then, if someone needs the police officers’ help to fill the application form without any mistake, the police would ask for 500 to 1,000 riels ($0.13 to $0.25) for each sheet filled. Finally, they have to wait for the police to take their picture to assure that one day they will receive their ID, even though nobody knows when the ID will be issued to them.
Sim Muth, a woman living in Prey Peay village, Ang Tasom commune, said that she sold two chickens so that four of her children and two of her grandchildren could apply for their IDs. When she arrived [for the registration], the police asked her to buy six application forms, one for each applicant. She did not have enough money to buy the six application forms which would cost her 30,000 riels ($7.50).
She begged the police to lower the price, however, the police refused, and two of her children and her two grandchildren had to go back home empty handed: “At that time, I did not have money. Two grandchildren and two children went back home, we don’t have money.”
Sam Hieng, a woman from Prey Peay village also, said that she sold one “tao” (15 kilos) of rice and got 7,500 riels ($1.88) for her child to apply for a national ID today: “I sold a basketful of rice yesterday to get the money for my child to apply for an ID. The sale brought me 7,500 riels, I had to pay 5,000 riels for the application form.”
Sok Mao, a woman from Sman Pream village, said that she only has 8,000 riels ($2) for her two children to apply for an ID. She begged the people (police officers) who sell the application form to lower the price to 8,000 riels. They did not agree to her begging, and she had to borrow money from others so that her children can apply for an ID today: “I sold two chickens for two children [IDs]. I gave them 8,000 riels, they did not accept it, they said it is 10,000 riels and there is no bargaining.”
Hun Vanna, one of the police officers from the Takeo provincial office who came to distribute the ID application in Ang Tasom commune, said there is not set price of 5,000 riels for the application of a national ID, the officers are asking for whatever the villagers can afford to give to them voluntarily as a gratitude: “The asking of money is only to ask the villagers donation to buy food, however, not everybody give us something. I only ask, some would give as much as they want, there is no fixed price.”
To the contrary, the crowd which gathered to provide information to reporters in front of the police officers said that it was not a volunteer donation request as the officers claimed.
Srey Sam, the commune chief of Sre Ronaung, said the police officers are indeed asking money for the application of national IDs, and that in his commune, a lot of people did not go to apply for an ID because they don’t have money to pay the police officers.
Chea Vann, Tramkâk deputy district chief, confirmed that the police officers took money for the application of national IDs. The provincial and district authorities, as well as the provincial level police are still evaluating on a mean to stop the officers from taking money from people applying for their IDs.
6 comments:
purely pathetic! khmers robbing khmer of petty cash. we're moving up in the world this way. keep doing it khmers!
No! No! No! This Khmer AH HUN SEN slave to the Vietcong! Every fucken Cambodian election come around, AH HUN SEN and his Vietcong double agents always create problem for the Cambodian people who had been living on their land since birth! But AH HUN SEN and his Vietcong double agents never bother million and million of illegal Viet!!!! Why! Why! Why!
It is because by blood all AH HUN SEN is not Khmer! All the Vietcong hidden face behind the dumb fuck Cambodian leaders or the Vietcong double agents will be killed!
So these mother fucker want to play double standard?
The khmers want everything free from the government without paying taxes.
To 10:18AM
What about AH HUN SEN stole 300million to 5million from Cambodian people through corruption and what do you have to say about that! This is what the Khmer want from AH HUN SEN!
Khmer want AH HUN SEN to pass anti-corruption law now! Khmer want an independent judicial system! Khmer want the police and the arm force to be independent and not under AH HUN SEN! Khmer want the right to vote for any candidate not just AH HUN SEN clans! The fucken lists are endless....
Why would any Khmer want to pay tax to AH HUN SEN government sponsored by the Vietcong when AH HUN SEN can't even protect Cambodian border from the Viet and allowed million and million of illegal Viet to enter Cambodia to steal land and jobs from Cambodian people! You must be out of your fucken mind!
Answer to:
"channey: The khmers want everything free from the government without paying taxes."
what are you talking about? here is a matter of obtaining an ID, which should be a granted right for every person.
moreover, and most important, the ID allows the right to vote at the elections!
if there were a "tax", as you say, that prevents people from obtaining their ID and from expressing ther right to vote, then that "tax" would be not just, and should be removed.
but, here it's not a matter of taxes, it's a matter of officiers forcing poor people to give bribes, which is illegal!
answer this: if the police did not request a bribe, but requested a "tax", why do they deny that they were requesting money, and said that they ask for a free donation instead?
The government is the institution. The Khmers are individuals who are living in Cambodia as well as Khmer living abroad. Please KHMER persons who are currently living in Cambodia soil including... King, PM, MPs, ministers, secretary, and millions people. And if those people escape paying taxes where the money will be available for free services. So you now understand the word I CALL "KHMERS"
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