Original report from Phnom Penh
26 November 2008
A young boy was injured in a clash between goods porters and border police in Poipet Wednesday morning, during a demonstration over a new private export fee.
More than 100 porters gathered in front of the Poipet border checkpoint Wednesday morning, angered by a new policy that forces them to pay 150 riel per kilogram to a private company in order to pull their goods to Thailand for sale.
Porters said the fee, which was instituted Monday and is enforced by state border police, was unfair, especially because they already have export licenses from the government.
Pheak Vutha, 14, said he was kicked by a border policeman during the heated demonstration after encouraging other porters to bypass the police and cross the border.
“When I joined the demonstration with my mom, I shouted, ‘Here, we should go! We should go!’” he told VOA Khmer by phone Wednesday. “And when the border police heard that, they were angry with me and took me to the border police post, and [the policeman] kicked me two times with his boots. Now I’m hurt on my head and my body, and I appeal for the Cambodian government to withdraw [the policeman] who kicked me.”
The new fee is being charged by Chhouk Lon Enterprise Export Import, whose owner, Lim Tang Por, said Wednesday he had a license from a former Bantey Meanchey provincial governor.
He denied porters’ claims was a relative of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
More than 100 porters gathered in front of the Poipet border checkpoint Wednesday morning, angered by a new policy that forces them to pay 150 riel per kilogram to a private company in order to pull their goods to Thailand for sale.
Porters said the fee, which was instituted Monday and is enforced by state border police, was unfair, especially because they already have export licenses from the government.
Pheak Vutha, 14, said he was kicked by a border policeman during the heated demonstration after encouraging other porters to bypass the police and cross the border.
“When I joined the demonstration with my mom, I shouted, ‘Here, we should go! We should go!’” he told VOA Khmer by phone Wednesday. “And when the border police heard that, they were angry with me and took me to the border police post, and [the policeman] kicked me two times with his boots. Now I’m hurt on my head and my body, and I appeal for the Cambodian government to withdraw [the policeman] who kicked me.”
The new fee is being charged by Chhouk Lon Enterprise Export Import, whose owner, Lim Tang Por, said Wednesday he had a license from a former Bantey Meanchey provincial governor.
He denied porters’ claims was a relative of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
7 comments:
Idiot police is so brutality and disgusted. They’re not providing protection and serving the citizens, but violently and sucking blood from the poor people. They don’t understand minors who are trying to make a living day-by-day with blood and sweat. They boy should be only arrested or held for his offense, not beating and kicking. It’s so pathetic to hear this.
Khmer border polices and immigration post personels that station at various check points along the borders are not protecting Khmer citizens nor the country. They are there to leeched and extort people for money for their own personal gain. I had experience at O smach border check point. My father crossed over to Thailand and he walked pass the the Thai's immigration office and he did not get his passport stamped by the Thai immigration officer. When we came back, the Thai officers let us go without charge but the Khmer officers extorted/charged $150 to stamp a cancel trip instead of helping us. We had a heated argument with them. Finally, I had to give in to their demanded because I didn't want to waste time going through a complicated process. The officers rip off us of $150 and stamped our passports. They are just waiting for you to make mistake and took the opportunity to rip you off instead of helping and making your trip easy. I went to Cambodia many times and brought money and gifts to the people in Cambodia. Most of people there don't really care about other human beings or the country. All they about is money and personal gains. This is why the country is a corrupted state and the people are living in poverty. Not many people there are doing anything to help the country or the people. I was really mad that I had to pay $150 because I knew the money was going into their pockets.
There are so much suffering Khmer are facing: the enemy within and foreingers. They both equally brutal. Just like the article detail above, how in the world a private company robbing Khmer who barely make a living, charging good by killogram?
Send these bold border police to the Preah Vihear, we need courageous guys overthere.
Yuon government (CPP) is synonyme of violence and anarchy.
it has always been like that there in khmerland.i,with a group of six khmer monks,had been abused and blamed badly of a small mistake by the polices at the usmacc border too in 2001.
It has to change, the Yuon in the CPP must disappears. Use the same method as with Hok Lundy.
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