3 Officials Return to Posts After Shooting Over Land
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Three local officials involved in a shooting that left two men injured during a land dispute in Prey Veng province last week have returned to work, officials said Monday.
Hen Yorn, CPP Koh Sampov commune councilor in Peam Chor district, Y Sam Ol, deputy district governor, and Sing Sokhom, Koh Sampov commune police chief, have all returned to their jobs since the Dec 5 incident when a group of about 100 villagers were fired on, officials said.
Villagers said last week that the shooting started when they approached Hen Yorn and asked him why he was building a hut on their land in Peam Chor. During a heated discussion that followed, Hen Yorn and several commune-level policemen opened fire on their group with AK-47s and pistols.
Be Sophal, 35, was shot in the arm, and a bullet grazed the temple of Neth Tran, 24, villagers reported.
Peam Chor district governor Aing Thoeung said that his deputy, Y Sam Ol, returned to work after he provided a written report of the incident, in which he wrote that he had not ordered police to open fire on villagers.
Aing Thoeung added that he could not suspend his deputy from work without a court order.
"The villagers should file court complaints to solve the issue to avoid any possible violence," he said adding that police are still investigating the shooting.
Peam Chor district police chief Soun Savath refused to comment on the case.
Hen Yorn denied that he shot any villagers, saying that police officers protecting his property opened fire in self-defense against villagers armed with axes, knives and sticks.
"[The villagers] wanted to kill us," he maintained.
"Police opened fire just to scare them," he added.
Villagers present during the incident claimed that Y Sam Ol gave the orders for officers to begin shooting, and Men Makara, Adhoc provincial coordinator for Prey Veng, alleged that Sing Sokhom also shot at villagers.
Men Makara said that the officials should not have been allowed back at work until an investigation of the incident had been completed.
He added that he has seen eight cases of shootings by police in the province since May, but that none of the officers were reprimanded.
"Those officials must be punished according to the law," he said.
Hen Yorn, CPP Koh Sampov commune councilor in Peam Chor district, Y Sam Ol, deputy district governor, and Sing Sokhom, Koh Sampov commune police chief, have all returned to their jobs since the Dec 5 incident when a group of about 100 villagers were fired on, officials said.
Villagers said last week that the shooting started when they approached Hen Yorn and asked him why he was building a hut on their land in Peam Chor. During a heated discussion that followed, Hen Yorn and several commune-level policemen opened fire on their group with AK-47s and pistols.
Be Sophal, 35, was shot in the arm, and a bullet grazed the temple of Neth Tran, 24, villagers reported.
Peam Chor district governor Aing Thoeung said that his deputy, Y Sam Ol, returned to work after he provided a written report of the incident, in which he wrote that he had not ordered police to open fire on villagers.
Aing Thoeung added that he could not suspend his deputy from work without a court order.
"The villagers should file court complaints to solve the issue to avoid any possible violence," he said adding that police are still investigating the shooting.
Peam Chor district police chief Soun Savath refused to comment on the case.
Hen Yorn denied that he shot any villagers, saying that police officers protecting his property opened fire in self-defense against villagers armed with axes, knives and sticks.
"[The villagers] wanted to kill us," he maintained.
"Police opened fire just to scare them," he added.
Villagers present during the incident claimed that Y Sam Ol gave the orders for officers to begin shooting, and Men Makara, Adhoc provincial coordinator for Prey Veng, alleged that Sing Sokhom also shot at villagers.
Men Makara said that the officials should not have been allowed back at work until an investigation of the incident had been completed.
He added that he has seen eight cases of shootings by police in the province since May, but that none of the officers were reprimanded.
"Those officials must be punished according to the law," he said.
1 comment:
The independence court of Cambodia did not find the CPP official guilty of any wrong doing.
As it is normal practices in Cambodia any CPP government officials and families members have the rights and licence to shoot innocent civilian or anyone.
Those civilian whom are not happy must understand that it not a criminal activity...feel free to take an AK47 and start shooting at Mr. Hun Sen and his government officials :-) if you see them ...your action is supported by Cambodia constitution "freedom of expression".
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