By Or Phearith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
At least 40 people were arrested by the security guards at the Chamcar Andoung rubber plantation. They were accused of stealing resin residues on 15 May.
A representative of the villagers from Village 32, Ta’ong commune, Chamcar leu district, Kompong Cham province, said that a number of people, including several children, were arrested by the security guards of the Chamcar Andoung rubber plantation since early morning. At 3:00 PM, those arrested have not been released yet, and even if their families went to fetch them, they were nowhere to be seen yet.
The representative of the villagers said: “They arrested the people who went to pick the rubber residues left at the bottom of the collecting cup and these residues fell to the ground. The [rubber] company ordered the arrest of everybody, young and old, and they took them inside the company [compound]. There were more than 40 of them [arrested], and we have not found all of them yet, they are children and adults. The company does not allow the release of the people yet.”
The woman-representative of the villagers said that extreme poverty pushes almost all the villagers to go pick rubber residues from the ground to eke out a living: “People in Village 32 are extremely poor, some don’t even have a cup of rice left in their homes. Some villagers who dare go to Phnom Penh [to report their situations?], are reprimanded by company, they are called in to be verbally reprimanded.”
Lim Sun Leang, the director of the Chamcar Andoung rubber plantation, gave an interview to RFA over the phone. He said that only about 20 villagers have been arrested, and the arrest was made only to protect the company’s financial interest. He said that he did not violate the rights of those arrested.
Lim Sun Leang said: “I am doing this according to the law, I did not send them anywhere, I told them to go ask a letter from the village chief, the commune chief, to bring to us as a pledge not to do this (pick rubber residue) anymore. If they are arrested the second and third time, we will have to take legal action against them. In Chamcar Andoung, there are 1,352 families who live in the workers’ village who do not work for the company.”
In the rubber plantation zones in Kompong Cham province, there were several reports indicating the arrests and tortures, and even the killings of people who sneak in to pick rubber resin residues.
During an interview given at the end of 2005, No. 32 villagers said that even with the killing of 2 sisters caught stealing some bananas, they are not scared and this killing does not deter them from stealing in order to survive.
A representative of the villagers from Village 32, Ta’ong commune, Chamcar leu district, Kompong Cham province, said that a number of people, including several children, were arrested by the security guards of the Chamcar Andoung rubber plantation since early morning. At 3:00 PM, those arrested have not been released yet, and even if their families went to fetch them, they were nowhere to be seen yet.
The representative of the villagers said: “They arrested the people who went to pick the rubber residues left at the bottom of the collecting cup and these residues fell to the ground. The [rubber] company ordered the arrest of everybody, young and old, and they took them inside the company [compound]. There were more than 40 of them [arrested], and we have not found all of them yet, they are children and adults. The company does not allow the release of the people yet.”
The woman-representative of the villagers said that extreme poverty pushes almost all the villagers to go pick rubber residues from the ground to eke out a living: “People in Village 32 are extremely poor, some don’t even have a cup of rice left in their homes. Some villagers who dare go to Phnom Penh [to report their situations?], are reprimanded by company, they are called in to be verbally reprimanded.”
Lim Sun Leang, the director of the Chamcar Andoung rubber plantation, gave an interview to RFA over the phone. He said that only about 20 villagers have been arrested, and the arrest was made only to protect the company’s financial interest. He said that he did not violate the rights of those arrested.
Lim Sun Leang said: “I am doing this according to the law, I did not send them anywhere, I told them to go ask a letter from the village chief, the commune chief, to bring to us as a pledge not to do this (pick rubber residue) anymore. If they are arrested the second and third time, we will have to take legal action against them. In Chamcar Andoung, there are 1,352 families who live in the workers’ village who do not work for the company.”
In the rubber plantation zones in Kompong Cham province, there were several reports indicating the arrests and tortures, and even the killings of people who sneak in to pick rubber resin residues.
During an interview given at the end of 2005, No. 32 villagers said that even with the killing of 2 sisters caught stealing some bananas, they are not scared and this killing does not deter them from stealing in order to survive.
9 comments:
God damned it, why do they insist
of stealing from the damn
plantation? Go and find jewleries
from the thousands mass graves,
will ya? It pays a lot better. Stay
away from private property. If you
must steal, steal the State
property such as lumber tree, wild
animal, ... . The State don't have
resources to watch all of you. Get
the picture?
Don't enter the Rubber Plantation Maffia State. They give fund to the CPP and hardy pay taxes to the Government. There's no transparency in handling their rubber buseness. In the CPP led Country every natural resource only enriches corrupt and powerful people: Gem mine, forest.... which were gone. And later on Rubber, Oil, gaz....That makes those maffiosi's mouth watering!
AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave want Cambodian people to get down on their knees to beg him for food!
2008 is approaching so fast, AH HUN SEN will have the biggest firework in history to celebrate his last day as the longest Prime Minister of Cambodia!
ahhahahhahah
How much longer can AH HUN SEN stay in power for taking food away from dirt poor Cambodian people?
Not very long...
The [rubber] company ordered the arrest of everybody, young and old, and they took them inside the company [compound]. There were more than 40 of them [arrested], and we have not found all of them yet, they are children and adults. The company does not allow the release of the people yet.”
In Cambodia those who have money are the law. This is the perfect example. What gives a Company the right to hold people? Security guards are suppose to turn them over to the police. So sad. But through out history where people struggle for FREEDOM, there will be sacrifice. I hope for the best for them.
Wrong, those who have money are
the law everywhere, not just in
Cambodia.
As for the guard, they are just
holding the thieves for the police.
You stupid 4:40Pm Even police can not hold people more than 48 huor without court order!
Lim Sun Leang and other Plantation Executives How about some day we hold your family in capture for ahwile until we get the good justice system?
BUNARU HUN XEN, should your red cross do something since your husband try to closed one eyes for the rich friends and unfortunatly his othe eye is Kwack!
9:38, the guard can hold the
thieves for as long as it takes
for the polices to pick them up,
1 day, 1 week, or 1 month make
no difference.
As for the Red Cross, it can only
used the fund for natural disaster,
nothing else; otherwise, it will
be accused of mismanagement and
corruption.
Is he Hun Xen Advisor? That why Hun Xen act like monkey!
We, Cambodians, are very ashamed to have an uneducated prime minister like ah Hun Sen
Reporters have rights to ask any question to high-rank officials, either prime minister, in the world.
If ah Hun Sen (Kbal youn khloun Sat') told RFA reporters are insolent, so ah Hun Sen is very ILL-BRED and uneducated barbarian person
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