09 January 2008
By Or Phearith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Villagers from Snuol district, Kratie province, indicated that at least 10 homes belonging to the villagers were torched by the ecology officials, on 07 January, who accused the villagers of building their homes in a prohibited zone belonging to the state.
Villagers living near the 117-km milestone along National Road 76, from Snuol district to Mondolkiri province, indicated that at around 2:00 PM on 07 January, a group of ecology officials came to torch the villagers’ homes and they even shot bullets to threaten the villagers also.
The same villagers said: “The officials from the ecology department came to torch the villagers’ homes. They torched down 10 homes during 2 hours. They said that these lands are animal refuge, and nobody can live here.”
The victimized villagers said during their interview that, in their native village, they do not have lands to build homes and to plant crops, this is why they came here 3-4 years ago, some even longer than that.
One of the victims indicated that: “We couldn’t find anything for our children to eat, we don’t even own 20-meter of land, so we came here. Now, all our clothes, our belongings have been burnt down, even our pots and pans are all gone. They shot 2 bullets to threaten (us). Please help find a place for me to live, because I have a lot of children, they are all girls, and I am very poor, I don’t have land, not even a small piece of land. I was a laborer.”
The K3 region (inhabited by the villagers) is a wild animal reservation, and a sub-decree was issued (by the government) prohibiting anyone from living, settling, or clearing lands for planting crops there. However, Mrs. Thy Narin, an official of the Adhoc human rights group, criticized the action perpetrated by the ecology officials, saying that this is a contempt on the belongings of the poor people, and she said that, in spite of this prohibition, the expert officials should chose another mean to evict the people out.
Mrs. Thy Narin said: “They destroyed the homes of the villagers who were still living there, this really affects their livelihoods. The ecology officials should find a better solution than this and discuss it with the local authorities in the commune and district first, before starting to torch and destroy the villagers’ shelters.”
The 2 December commune authority and the Snuol district authority claimed that they did not know anything about this violent act. The director of the ecology department also claimed that he is traveling in other region, and he did not hear about this incident yet. However, Thon Kry, the deputy provincial governor, said that this is a difficult case, because in the past, regardless of prevention to the villagers to settle there, they wouldn’t listen, and he said that if the authority acknowledges them, they take it as an encouragement to perpetrate further their action.
Thon Kry said: “This, we prevented them because (their homes) can be torched down, they were warned so many times already, this is difficult. It’s so difficult with these people, if we acknowledge them, they even do worse.”
Thon Kry indicated that there is no social land available to provide to these victimized villagers.
Villagers living near the 117-km milestone along National Road 76, from Snuol district to Mondolkiri province, indicated that at around 2:00 PM on 07 January, a group of ecology officials came to torch the villagers’ homes and they even shot bullets to threaten the villagers also.
The same villagers said: “The officials from the ecology department came to torch the villagers’ homes. They torched down 10 homes during 2 hours. They said that these lands are animal refuge, and nobody can live here.”
The victimized villagers said during their interview that, in their native village, they do not have lands to build homes and to plant crops, this is why they came here 3-4 years ago, some even longer than that.
One of the victims indicated that: “We couldn’t find anything for our children to eat, we don’t even own 20-meter of land, so we came here. Now, all our clothes, our belongings have been burnt down, even our pots and pans are all gone. They shot 2 bullets to threaten (us). Please help find a place for me to live, because I have a lot of children, they are all girls, and I am very poor, I don’t have land, not even a small piece of land. I was a laborer.”
The K3 region (inhabited by the villagers) is a wild animal reservation, and a sub-decree was issued (by the government) prohibiting anyone from living, settling, or clearing lands for planting crops there. However, Mrs. Thy Narin, an official of the Adhoc human rights group, criticized the action perpetrated by the ecology officials, saying that this is a contempt on the belongings of the poor people, and she said that, in spite of this prohibition, the expert officials should chose another mean to evict the people out.
Mrs. Thy Narin said: “They destroyed the homes of the villagers who were still living there, this really affects their livelihoods. The ecology officials should find a better solution than this and discuss it with the local authorities in the commune and district first, before starting to torch and destroy the villagers’ shelters.”
The 2 December commune authority and the Snuol district authority claimed that they did not know anything about this violent act. The director of the ecology department also claimed that he is traveling in other region, and he did not hear about this incident yet. However, Thon Kry, the deputy provincial governor, said that this is a difficult case, because in the past, regardless of prevention to the villagers to settle there, they wouldn’t listen, and he said that if the authority acknowledges them, they take it as an encouragement to perpetrate further their action.
Thon Kry said: “This, we prevented them because (their homes) can be torched down, they were warned so many times already, this is difficult. It’s so difficult with these people, if we acknowledge them, they even do worse.”
Thon Kry indicated that there is no social land available to provide to these victimized villagers.
7 comments:
Khmere Rouge in slow motion!
Thank to UN, at lease we die slower and suffer longer!
AH HUN SEN undeclare Cambodian civil war!
11:28 that's what came to my mind too. Where the hell do they FIND so many other Khmer people willing to brutalize their own??????
1:22AM
From supression, unjustice, coruption, ignorance, greed, systermatickly organized terorized and slowdown genocide .
And ah Hok Landy and ah Tea Bahch are not Khmer! Stupid!
Hey well-bred polite person, 2:51. I was talking about the average Khmer. Moron. You think insults make your point more valid?
That make you brain think! stupid 3:37AM
It does? And you are a.....neurologist? I doubt it. A psychiatrist? No, not a chance. Just a little worm who's panties get wet insulting people on the internet. Bet you wouldn't DARE speak to people face to face like that. But go ahead knock yourself out.
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