Cambodian population overlooking a Vietnamese soldier threatening with his gun inside Cambodia's territory. (Photo: Sralanh Khmer newspaper)
The Cambodian shooting victim is undergoing medical care in Svay Rieng after being shot by Vietnamese soldiers. (Photo: Koh Santepheap newspaper)By Chey Dara
Sralanh Khmer newspaper
30 July 2007
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
A Vietnamese border patrol soldier trespassed inside Cambodia, shot and injured one Cambodian famer in Chheu Teal village, Daung commune, Romeas Hek district, Svay Rieng province. The event which started the shooting by the Vietnamese soldier and caused injury to the leg of 30-year-old Ngoy Puong, started when the latter was letting his buffaloes graze along rice field perimeters near the [Cambodian-Vietnamese] border.
Following this shooting, armed Vietnamese soldiers arrested another Cambodian, Chhim Tren, handcuffed him, pointed their guns at him and took him with them to Vietnam.
The victim of the shooting is currently under medical care at the Svay Rieng hospital, no attention whatsoever has been provided by the Cambodian authority. Not only that, the Cambodian authority is instead blaming the Cambodian victims.
The Cambodian authority is blaming the Cambodian man who was shot and injured by the Vietnamese border soldiers this Friday, the authority accused him of being too daring to walk into the Vietnamese territory. However, the villagers who are from the same village as the victim said that the Vietnamese soldiers trespassed the border and entered Cambodia’s territory to shoot Cambodian people inside Cambodia.
Mao Virak, the Romeas Hek district governor, told news media yesterday that the man was shot and seriously injured in the foot by the Vietnamese soldiers because around noontime, he let his buffaloes graze inside Vietnam. However, the district governor said that he asked the Cambodian authority to discuss and arrange for a settlement on this issue. He indicated that the commune authorities from the two countries are attempting to resolve this issue, and if the commune authorities cannot resolve it, then the district authorities will step in.
The district governor said that: “Since ever, our population always faces this problem [with the Vietnamese] because they go in and out [of Vietnam] for their business, to look after their [grazing] cattle. It always creates problem … We must discuss with each other so that they (the Vietnamese side) pay the hospital fees.” Virak blamed the Cambodian villagers for allowing their cattle to graze inside Vietnam, and cause damage on the Vietnamese properties.
According to the villagers, the Vietnamese soldiers trespassed the Cambodian border, and moved the villagers’ cattle inside the Vietnamese territory so they can impose a fine of 20,000 riels (US$ 5). If the cattle owners resist the Vietnamese soldiers’ action, fight would occur, and the Vietnamese soldiers would use their guns to spray bullets on Cambodian villagers.
An anonymous woman who lives near the shooting victim told a radio station yesterday that “the buffaloes did not graze inside Vietnam. However, the Vietnamese soldiers came and pull them into their territory, then they accuse the cattle on entering their land.”
Var Kim Hong, the president of the Cambodian [government] border committee, claimed that he did not receive the report on the shooting by the Vietnamese soldiers which caused an injury. He added that he will contact the Svay Rieng province authority to discuss with the Vietnamese authority in order to avoid further use of guns to hassle the Cambodian population living along the border.
Var Kim Hong blamed the armed Vietnamese soldiers who shot a Cambodian citizen and caused the injury. He said: “We must have good relationships with each other, there should not be any problem of this nature … the population does not know the actual location of the border limit. Therefore, the district and the provincial authorities should resolve the problem. We do not like it, just letting cattle graze on rice field perimeters, what serious damage can it cause?”
Cambodian people along the Cambodia-Vietnam border said that they are very worried about the trespassing of the Vietnamese inside Cambodia’s territory, and their shooting on the Cambodian population. Even with the [shooting] proof in hand, the Cambodian authority does not defend its own population but rather blames them instead.
Cambodian population living in Daung commune, Romeas Hek district, had reported, on numerous instances, that the Vietnamese side had continuously moved the border limit towards the inside of Cambodia, and they would seize the Cambodian villagers’ cattle to impose fines of 20,000 riels ($5) per animal seized. On some occasions (such as this one), the Vietnamese would shoot and undertake savage actions against the villagers.
Several months ago, Sam Rainsy, the opposition leader, organized a Buddhist festival to raise funds for the abbot of a pagoda [in Daung commune] so that he can build a pagoda to be used as a border marker in order to prevent further encroachment on Cambodia’s territory by the Vietnamese.
Several thousands of people who participated in the festival in Daung pagoda, told Sam Rainsy that the Vietnamese are still perpetrating their encroachments on the White zone [disputed border zone declared as no man’s land] even though the Supplemental border treaty to the 1985 border treaty between Hun Sen and the Vietnamese is already active. Sam Rainsy then said that he truly believed the complaints made by the population because only people living along the border would know for sure about the encroachment of Cambodia’s territory.
During that festival, Sam Rainsy told the population that the Sam Rainsy Party does not support nor recognize such illegal treaty.
Following this shooting, armed Vietnamese soldiers arrested another Cambodian, Chhim Tren, handcuffed him, pointed their guns at him and took him with them to Vietnam.
The victim of the shooting is currently under medical care at the Svay Rieng hospital, no attention whatsoever has been provided by the Cambodian authority. Not only that, the Cambodian authority is instead blaming the Cambodian victims.
The Cambodian authority is blaming the Cambodian man who was shot and injured by the Vietnamese border soldiers this Friday, the authority accused him of being too daring to walk into the Vietnamese territory. However, the villagers who are from the same village as the victim said that the Vietnamese soldiers trespassed the border and entered Cambodia’s territory to shoot Cambodian people inside Cambodia.
Mao Virak, the Romeas Hek district governor, told news media yesterday that the man was shot and seriously injured in the foot by the Vietnamese soldiers because around noontime, he let his buffaloes graze inside Vietnam. However, the district governor said that he asked the Cambodian authority to discuss and arrange for a settlement on this issue. He indicated that the commune authorities from the two countries are attempting to resolve this issue, and if the commune authorities cannot resolve it, then the district authorities will step in.
The district governor said that: “Since ever, our population always faces this problem [with the Vietnamese] because they go in and out [of Vietnam] for their business, to look after their [grazing] cattle. It always creates problem … We must discuss with each other so that they (the Vietnamese side) pay the hospital fees.” Virak blamed the Cambodian villagers for allowing their cattle to graze inside Vietnam, and cause damage on the Vietnamese properties.
According to the villagers, the Vietnamese soldiers trespassed the Cambodian border, and moved the villagers’ cattle inside the Vietnamese territory so they can impose a fine of 20,000 riels (US$ 5). If the cattle owners resist the Vietnamese soldiers’ action, fight would occur, and the Vietnamese soldiers would use their guns to spray bullets on Cambodian villagers.
An anonymous woman who lives near the shooting victim told a radio station yesterday that “the buffaloes did not graze inside Vietnam. However, the Vietnamese soldiers came and pull them into their territory, then they accuse the cattle on entering their land.”
Var Kim Hong, the president of the Cambodian [government] border committee, claimed that he did not receive the report on the shooting by the Vietnamese soldiers which caused an injury. He added that he will contact the Svay Rieng province authority to discuss with the Vietnamese authority in order to avoid further use of guns to hassle the Cambodian population living along the border.
Var Kim Hong blamed the armed Vietnamese soldiers who shot a Cambodian citizen and caused the injury. He said: “We must have good relationships with each other, there should not be any problem of this nature … the population does not know the actual location of the border limit. Therefore, the district and the provincial authorities should resolve the problem. We do not like it, just letting cattle graze on rice field perimeters, what serious damage can it cause?”
Cambodian people along the Cambodia-Vietnam border said that they are very worried about the trespassing of the Vietnamese inside Cambodia’s territory, and their shooting on the Cambodian population. Even with the [shooting] proof in hand, the Cambodian authority does not defend its own population but rather blames them instead.
Cambodian population living in Daung commune, Romeas Hek district, had reported, on numerous instances, that the Vietnamese side had continuously moved the border limit towards the inside of Cambodia, and they would seize the Cambodian villagers’ cattle to impose fines of 20,000 riels ($5) per animal seized. On some occasions (such as this one), the Vietnamese would shoot and undertake savage actions against the villagers.
Several months ago, Sam Rainsy, the opposition leader, organized a Buddhist festival to raise funds for the abbot of a pagoda [in Daung commune] so that he can build a pagoda to be used as a border marker in order to prevent further encroachment on Cambodia’s territory by the Vietnamese.
Several thousands of people who participated in the festival in Daung pagoda, told Sam Rainsy that the Vietnamese are still perpetrating their encroachments on the White zone [disputed border zone declared as no man’s land] even though the Supplemental border treaty to the 1985 border treaty between Hun Sen and the Vietnamese is already active. Sam Rainsy then said that he truly believed the complaints made by the population because only people living along the border would know for sure about the encroachment of Cambodia’s territory.
During that festival, Sam Rainsy told the population that the Sam Rainsy Party does not support nor recognize such illegal treaty.
9 comments:
Brothers and Sisters, wipe your tears and stand up for your rights.
This is not new to everyone. The government we know today is a chained dogs. Their master is Vietnam. Don't expect the dogs to do anything, you must fight back for the land. This is a violation of the international law to cross over the boundary and attempted murder of the peasants.
We needs to stand up against the Vietcong.
I just can't believe my eye! So where are all the fucken Cambodian military border guards? I see only one Vietcong carry gun and majority of Cambodian people just stand there with nothing in their hand to protect themselves! So the Vietcong want border skirmish with poor Cambodian people who has no gun? Oh man! these Vietcong are nothing but a coward!
Right now AH HUN SEN has his way with the Vietcong but it won't this way for long! The Vietcong will pay!
Before 1949, that part of territory belong to Cambodia and the rest of south Vietnam. This is the fucking problem with the Vietnamese, you take it easy on them and give them an inch of land, they want the whole country. Once they got the whole country, they begin to kill to defend it. That was how they got Kampuchea Krom of Cambodia in 1949, and they still want more, this time the whole Cambodia itself. Eventually they will succeed. It would be a second biggest jackpot winning for them. They have little guilt for their act of encroachment, they see it as an opportunity, no respect for whoever those lands belong to, this is the fucking Vietnam mentality.
Cambodia should think like Vietnam to fight Vietnam. Vietnam use cheat,lies, and deception as an answer for its sucess, two can play that game. Cambodia must befriended with China, it's the only hope of this fight because Vietnam is China's enemy. As long as Cambodia keep playing the pleaser and appeaser, Cambodia will be another Cham and Kampuchea Krom.
STAND UP AND UNITE IF WE WISHED TO SEE ANGKOR WAT FOREVER STANDING. IT WAS THE LACK OF UNITY THAT SEPERATED US AND DIVIDED US THAT DESTROYDED US. FORGET OUR MINOR PROBLEMS AMONG OURSELVES, OUR LAND, WATER, LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND OUR WHOLE KHMER-NESS THAT ARE AT STAKE, WE MUST DEFEND THEM.
I call out to Hun Sen and all of his connections to do the honorable thing for Cambodia. That is to seek justice for Khmer. If you have any Khmer blood, heart, and soul in you, you should feel the pain of your people. I urge you to do what is right and honorable things for your country and your people, STAND UP FOR CAMBODIA.
You are as powerless as we are if you don't fight for what is right for Cambodia. Your political system of Vietnam influece and dependency are your greatest weaknesses, free yourself to free Khmer for self-soverignty without any foreign influeces. It would be an honorable thing, if you sacrifice yourself by allowing someone else to take a turn in office. Your incompetentcy is a shackle and chain that hold down Cambodia freedom.
It is sad to say this, but USA is making Vietnam to be the Israel to face China's agression. China see Cambodian's weak point as a defenseless nation, she is slowely move in to help Cambodia against Vietnam just like Syria helping Lebanon. You see what happening to Lebanon today. USA will pour billions of $$ to build Vietnamese armforce, consequently Cambodia will be a ground war just like Lebanon or Palestine. The best thing to do is DO NOT turn to China. Turn to USA or Khmer will be suffering again.
Dont let the Vietnam War start over again....if we must choose a side we must be together. When Vietnam sided with China in the 1960's-1970's, we had the Khmer Rouge ally with Vietnam while those under Lon Nol were with America. We must be united KHMERS should not let their enemy pick on us...NO MORE FIGHTING BETWEEN KHMER BROTHERS AND SISTERS. NO WAR TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY. LETS BRING THE WAR TO THEM WITHOUT US EVER PICKING UP A WEAPON. VIETNAM HAS ENEMIES...LAOS, MONTAGNARDS, HILL TRIBES.....MON KHMER FOREVER
Anonymous 12:00pm, I respect your opionion but I don't think Cambodia is similar to that of Lebanon just because it is the hottest world current affair for about 3 weeks now. The situation is totally difference.
The America's reason of wanting ties with Cambodia is for military strategic reason. By economic and political influences, America can win the heart and mind of Cambodian people.
Both China and America had influenced Cambodia since Vietnam War, politically. This latest deal is not new. When America lost the support for Lon Nol, Khmer Rouge became powerful and 1.7 millions Khmer lives parished. Khmer Rouge created and fed by China, not to mention, trained and educated by Viet Minh and Vietcong, and popularized by Norodom Sihanouk.
In 1980's America support the Khmer Rouge who were still fighting the communist Vietnam in Cambodia. So America is not as truthworthy as most of us assumed. At present, America seems very friendly to Vietnam because for military strategic reason, very similar to Vietnam War in 60's and 70's. China is America's greatest threat. As usual, America is making friends to build up support and threat. It has Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and now Vietnam, and Cambodia is still a question. America is building fences surrounding China. At the same time, China is becoming economically more and more powerful. It is also modernizing its military. Reason for China as the second largest donor after Japan is for same reason as America, but for both military and economic strategies.
It is very hard to decide which side Cambodia should ally itself to. Will Cambodia has the courage to stand nuetral again?
Please don't be neutral! If you stand in the middle of the road and you will be run over by a car!
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