26 August 2006
By Ouk Sav Bory
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
A human rigth group in Kampot said that a banner sign belonging the CPP in Ta Pream village, Treuy Koh commune, Kompong Bay district, Kampot province, was pulled out by an unidentified person in the morning of 24 August.
Chhim Savudh, a human right official, said that, according to his investigation following the news of the discovery of the fallen CPP sign located in Ta Pream village which was planted near the road, and about 100 meters from the village, the sign was indeed removed by someone and pushed down to the ground.
He added that this is probably due to villagers who are angered from the distribution of Red Cross donations on 18-19 August to the flood victims in the district of Treuy Koh. The dispute surrounding the distribution of donations led to a protest letter thumbprinted (by the villagers) demanding the removal of the village and the commune chief. The protest letter indicated that the actual flood victims who are poor did not receive any donation. The fallen CPP sign could be related to the anger created by the irregular distribution of donations.
Chhim Savudh said: “Based on what I actually saw, there are signs indicating that the sign post was shaken, then pulled out of the ground before sending it down. Therefore, I presume that, maybe, there is someone who pulled the sign out to get his/her revenge following the distribution of donations because some people receive the donations, and others do not. Those who don’t are reacting [very strongly] up to now.”
Teuk Sam Ol, a witness who is a villager in Ta Pream village, said that the villagers were angered with the donation distribution, they cursed the village and the commune chief. In the morning of 24 August, Teuk Sam Ol saw the CPP sign which was planted near the road, fell down to the ground. The sign is supported by posts which were planted down up to 1-meter depth. He said: “[Because of] the depth of embedment of the sign posts, they have been pulled out. It did not break. The depth of embedment of the posts into the ground is almost 1-meter deep”.
In response to the claims above, Mam Sieb, the Ta Pream village chief, denied them all. He indicated that the CPP sign which fell down during the early morning of 24 August was due to small embedment of the posts, therefore during strong wind, the sign fell down, there was nobody who would take the CPP sign down. He said: “The wind pushed it down, it just fell, there is nothing to it. Here the winds are strong, it push it (the sign) down because the sign post embedment is too shallow, when the wind blew, it took it down.”
Peou Sân, Treuy Koh commune chief said the same thing as Ta Pream village chief, claiming that there is no CPP sign which was pulled out by any bad people in the commune of Treuy Koh. The fact that the CPP sign in Ta Pream fell down, it was because a strong wind blew off the rotten wooden posts holding the sign, and the sign fell off by itself. He also claimed that the sign has been erected back already in front of the deputy district governor house in Kompong Bay district.
Peou Sân said: “[The sign] was erected since the [last] commune election, so the base of the posts is rotten, it then fell down. The fall happens to coincide with the distribution of donations, and people went on to claim that it was because of the distributions that some people pull the sign down.”
Human rights officials said that in the past, only Sam Rainsy Party and Funcinpec signs were taken down. It is very rare that signs from any other political parties have ever been taken down, and the falling down of CPP signs is very rare. The parties’ sign are usually taken down during the near election period.
Chhim Savudh, a human right official, said that, according to his investigation following the news of the discovery of the fallen CPP sign located in Ta Pream village which was planted near the road, and about 100 meters from the village, the sign was indeed removed by someone and pushed down to the ground.
He added that this is probably due to villagers who are angered from the distribution of Red Cross donations on 18-19 August to the flood victims in the district of Treuy Koh. The dispute surrounding the distribution of donations led to a protest letter thumbprinted (by the villagers) demanding the removal of the village and the commune chief. The protest letter indicated that the actual flood victims who are poor did not receive any donation. The fallen CPP sign could be related to the anger created by the irregular distribution of donations.
Chhim Savudh said: “Based on what I actually saw, there are signs indicating that the sign post was shaken, then pulled out of the ground before sending it down. Therefore, I presume that, maybe, there is someone who pulled the sign out to get his/her revenge following the distribution of donations because some people receive the donations, and others do not. Those who don’t are reacting [very strongly] up to now.”
Teuk Sam Ol, a witness who is a villager in Ta Pream village, said that the villagers were angered with the donation distribution, they cursed the village and the commune chief. In the morning of 24 August, Teuk Sam Ol saw the CPP sign which was planted near the road, fell down to the ground. The sign is supported by posts which were planted down up to 1-meter depth. He said: “[Because of] the depth of embedment of the sign posts, they have been pulled out. It did not break. The depth of embedment of the posts into the ground is almost 1-meter deep”.
In response to the claims above, Mam Sieb, the Ta Pream village chief, denied them all. He indicated that the CPP sign which fell down during the early morning of 24 August was due to small embedment of the posts, therefore during strong wind, the sign fell down, there was nobody who would take the CPP sign down. He said: “The wind pushed it down, it just fell, there is nothing to it. Here the winds are strong, it push it (the sign) down because the sign post embedment is too shallow, when the wind blew, it took it down.”
Peou Sân, Treuy Koh commune chief said the same thing as Ta Pream village chief, claiming that there is no CPP sign which was pulled out by any bad people in the commune of Treuy Koh. The fact that the CPP sign in Ta Pream fell down, it was because a strong wind blew off the rotten wooden posts holding the sign, and the sign fell off by itself. He also claimed that the sign has been erected back already in front of the deputy district governor house in Kompong Bay district.
Peou Sân said: “[The sign] was erected since the [last] commune election, so the base of the posts is rotten, it then fell down. The fall happens to coincide with the distribution of donations, and people went on to claim that it was because of the distributions that some people pull the sign down.”
Human rights officials said that in the past, only Sam Rainsy Party and Funcinpec signs were taken down. It is very rare that signs from any other political parties have ever been taken down, and the falling down of CPP signs is very rare. The parties’ sign are usually taken down during the near election period.
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