Thet Sambath
The Phnom Penh Post
AUTHORITIES in Oddar Meanchey province said Thursday they have compiled a report including solid evidence that proves a Cambodian teenager was shot and burned alive by Thai soldiers last month.
The report forms part of Cambodia’s investigation into a case that triggered outrage and condemnation from senior government officials this side of the border.
“We have concluded Yon Rith was burned alive after he was shot and injured by Thai soldiers,” said Noun Eth, police chief in Oddar Meanchey’s Samrong town, who collected photos and spoke with witnesses who were near the victim before he died. “We are strictly investigating this case, and we have witnesses and evidence to confirm.”
Cambodian officials have long maintained that Yon Rith, 16, was burned alive by Thai soldiers, who suspected him of illegal logging along the disputed border zone. In the days following the incident, which took place in early September, a Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman denied the allegations in a Bangkok newspaper.
Thai officials have since acknowledged that Thai soldiers burned the boy’s body, but insisted they did so only after he died, the deputy chief of the Thai-Cambodian border crossing in Poipet told the Post in late September.
Cambodian officials, however, rejected the Thai denials. “Thai soldiers burned the Cambodian teenager alive because they might have been angry at Cambodians for tensions along the border at the Preah Vihear temple,” Noun Eth suggested.
The boy’s father, Saing Yon, said he saw his son’s arm bones still bound with burned rope to an ox cart. “I saw burning rope around my son’s arm bones. I saw his footsteps when he tried to escape the burning,” Saing Yon said. “If I had a video camera or a camera, I would take photos for Thai soldiers to see.”
Chhim Sivuth, secretary general for Oddar Meanchey province, said investigators interviewed 10 witnesses who saw Yon Rith being shot. They claimed Thai soldiers grabbed the boy, preventing him from fleeing. “Thai soldiers never confessed their mistake,” Chhim Sivuth said.
He contrasted the Thai soldiers’ alleged actions with those of Cambodian soldiers, who he said arrested six Thai teenagers who had strayed into Cambodian territory a little more than a week after Yon Rith’s charred remains were found.
“We released them on the same day after they were questioned,” Chhim Sivuth said. “Our soldiers have good hearts, and they respect human beings. They do not shoot unarmed people.”
Thai embassy officials could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The Cambodian government had not yet received the Oddar Meanchey report, but spokesman Koy Kuong said officials would read it and send a diplomatic note to the Thais.
Thai soldiers were also accused of firing warning shots at Cambodian troops in the same region this week. The Thais twice fired an M79 grenade launcher when Cambodian armed forces came to inspect the construction of three small houses in a disputed border area during the incident Monday, said Chhim Sivuth, secretary general for Oddar Meanchey province.
“Our soldiers retreated to avoid armed confrontation,” Chhim Sivuth said. “Their shots were to warn our soldiers not to go and see their construction in the disputed area.”
The shots were fired near Ta Krabey temple in Oddar Meanchey’s Banteay Ampil district, Chhim Sivuth said. Cambodian authorities are still concerned about the houses, although soldiers did not report seeing any Thai soldiers inside them.
“Our commanders are asking to meet the Thai side to ask them about these houses because they are in a disputed area,” Chhim Sivuth said.
Chea Morn, the commander for Military Region 4, said he was unaware of the incident.
The report forms part of Cambodia’s investigation into a case that triggered outrage and condemnation from senior government officials this side of the border.
“We have concluded Yon Rith was burned alive after he was shot and injured by Thai soldiers,” said Noun Eth, police chief in Oddar Meanchey’s Samrong town, who collected photos and spoke with witnesses who were near the victim before he died. “We are strictly investigating this case, and we have witnesses and evidence to confirm.”
Cambodian officials have long maintained that Yon Rith, 16, was burned alive by Thai soldiers, who suspected him of illegal logging along the disputed border zone. In the days following the incident, which took place in early September, a Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman denied the allegations in a Bangkok newspaper.
Thai officials have since acknowledged that Thai soldiers burned the boy’s body, but insisted they did so only after he died, the deputy chief of the Thai-Cambodian border crossing in Poipet told the Post in late September.
Cambodian officials, however, rejected the Thai denials. “Thai soldiers burned the Cambodian teenager alive because they might have been angry at Cambodians for tensions along the border at the Preah Vihear temple,” Noun Eth suggested.
The boy’s father, Saing Yon, said he saw his son’s arm bones still bound with burned rope to an ox cart. “I saw burning rope around my son’s arm bones. I saw his footsteps when he tried to escape the burning,” Saing Yon said. “If I had a video camera or a camera, I would take photos for Thai soldiers to see.”
Chhim Sivuth, secretary general for Oddar Meanchey province, said investigators interviewed 10 witnesses who saw Yon Rith being shot. They claimed Thai soldiers grabbed the boy, preventing him from fleeing. “Thai soldiers never confessed their mistake,” Chhim Sivuth said.
He contrasted the Thai soldiers’ alleged actions with those of Cambodian soldiers, who he said arrested six Thai teenagers who had strayed into Cambodian territory a little more than a week after Yon Rith’s charred remains were found.
“We released them on the same day after they were questioned,” Chhim Sivuth said. “Our soldiers have good hearts, and they respect human beings. They do not shoot unarmed people.”
Thai embassy officials could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The Cambodian government had not yet received the Oddar Meanchey report, but spokesman Koy Kuong said officials would read it and send a diplomatic note to the Thais.
Thai soldiers were also accused of firing warning shots at Cambodian troops in the same region this week. The Thais twice fired an M79 grenade launcher when Cambodian armed forces came to inspect the construction of three small houses in a disputed border area during the incident Monday, said Chhim Sivuth, secretary general for Oddar Meanchey province.
“Our soldiers retreated to avoid armed confrontation,” Chhim Sivuth said. “Their shots were to warn our soldiers not to go and see their construction in the disputed area.”
The shots were fired near Ta Krabey temple in Oddar Meanchey’s Banteay Ampil district, Chhim Sivuth said. Cambodian authorities are still concerned about the houses, although soldiers did not report seeing any Thai soldiers inside them.
“Our commanders are asking to meet the Thai side to ask them about these houses because they are in a disputed area,” Chhim Sivuth said.
Chea Morn, the commander for Military Region 4, said he was unaware of the incident.
17 comments:
Cambodia should officially demand those siamese criminals be turned over to Khmer authority for trial.
I disagreed with the Thai. The Thai Soldiers are barbaric just rised from Hell. When I was in Kao-I-Dang camp, I was shot at just by going outside the refugee camp to collect water, and I was near death many times from the BARBARIC ACT BY THE SOLDIERS TO THE REFUGEES.
Thais are not good heart, they maybe good hearted toward their own people, but to Khmer people we are just a cockroach to the Soldier. The Thais have been attempting to accomplish their proganda for century to annex Cambodia. And they have been rewritten the history to fool their own people that the Thais are the ancestral of the Laotians, Khmers, and Burmese.
THAIS ARE BARBARIC.
if this teenager was hun sen' son, its wouldn't have been war.
but no, " its just poor khmer "
I SPIT ON THAIS FOR FUN......FUCK THAILAND
Why you motherfucker still fuck with my government asshole.
Cambodian officials should have enough evident to go forward and press charge on that Thai black soldier who shot and burned the boy"Yon Rith", we've also recovered the bullet from the wounded boy "Mao Khleung" this is enough evident already, cambodia authority must keep pressure Thais Gov't officials to turns in that bastard over to us and punish that bastard, under cambodian LAW!! cambodian must not play soft with Thailand no more!! enough is enough! Khmers had suffer so much from Thai black soldier abusive, since 1979-present...don't allowing to continue to look down on our people and our country, people Vote for you"CCP GOVT" and you must served people with dignity!!!!!!!
correction = cambodian officials must work hard and do not allowing Thailand to continue to look down on our people and our country anymore!! Stance tough! and play tough against them....period!
Why the Khmer continue to acccept the mistreatment from the Siam?
This is call for retaliation in anyway the Khmer leaders want!
No back down in the face of the Siem naked aggression!
fucking siem asshole!!!!!!!!!!!thailand will burn to hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am soooooooo angry. I want the Thai people to know how do you feel if your son is being burnt alive?. I want all the Thai parents to answer my question! To me one death is too many. I love my people and I prayed for them to live in peace after those crimes against humanity! Now, you make my tears to come down again. Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?. Now, I ask my God to bring "Karma" Buddha’s teaching upon those who committed the crime of up to seven times. The bible says "seven times add to seven generations, if they don't repent". Aust
I still remembered seeing Thai black soldier beaten and kicking and dragging khmer refugees people and throwing them into the back of their pickup truck, they are so cruel, everytime they seen khmer crossing over to buy Thais products, they just open fire, shooting without any warning at all? i meant people lived close to the fence, of course they need something for their daily life, and these people are unarmed...?
Chum Rum Rehu, Norng Chan Camp
Why Thai act inhuman with Khmer? Only Khmer know!!! Poor khmer, when you will wake up and stand up for yourselves. Khmer Angkor, my ass.
2:55PM It is because you evil people at the time were stronger than Gods'people but your time is limited. We will live forever and you evil people will be terminated, and your is about to be over very soon! by then we gods' people will sit down and laugh at you wicked one forever! by then our hard work is done but yours will be continue forever!
Our Khmer history from today on,
"The young Khmer burned alive and killed by the Thai, he is now a new Khmer Hero."
Why don't we Khmer people stop using only words and go into real action instead? We have our ancestors Khmer Angkor to be proud, but what are we? Our ancestors were great but that doesn't mean so we are. If we are proud of our ancestors then we must become even stronger and the Thais wouldn't dare lay a finger on our people. I don't know what the Thais think of Khmer but I believe if we are strong enough, they won't be able to do anything. Why Khmer grow so slow with all the natural and human resourse? Important thing is, everyone , do something. Don't just sit there like it's none of your businese.
Yep! thai lost their legs and arms, because of their greeds, you Thai bastard burned my people alive, but you will live in pain the rest of your low scumback life without legs or arms attached bastard, if you don't stop encroaching, your head will be blown off by BM21 rocket bitch!!
On 04/03/09 Fighting erupted, khmer soldiers at the front said that hundred/hundred of Thais pussy army ran away and left all their weapons behind, they took off like jet, from the front line, and our soldier chasing and shoot ta hell out of them Thai thief! reported said, close hundred death/wounded of them Thais army pussy....
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