Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (Photo: Ayuthyea, RFA)03 November 2009
By Mao Sotheany
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that he is not worried about the lawsuit brought up by the Chantrea district authority, accusing him of criminal conduct for destroying public properties on 25 October.
Sam Rainsy, who is currently in France after attending a conference in Egypt, told RFA over the phone that he is not alarmed about the lawsuit brought up by the Chantrea district authority accusing him of committing a crime by destroying public properties after he pulled out 6 wooden posts from a rice field belonging to [Cambodian] villagers on 25 October. The event took place when the SRP led a Kathen procession to Wat Ang Romdenh Pagoda, located about 200-300 meters from the Vietnamese border.
Sam Rainsy said that, regarding the accusation leveled against him, he would like to get the International court to resolve this case where Cambodian farmers lose their rice fields and he accused Vietnam of planting posts by encroaching on Cambodian farmers’ lands.
Sam Rainsy said: “I am not scared, if the Vietnamese government sues me, let them, if the current Phnom Penh regime sues me, let them, but I will sue to the International community, asking them to help protect Cambodian territories. I want the International [Paris Peace] conference on Cambodia to be reconvened, I will ask the 18 signatory countries in the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements to meet because the Cambodian territories are being violated right now. The Paris Agreements guarantee that all the signatory countries will help Cambodia when Cambodian territories are being violated. Now, the Cambodian territories are being violated, and we have sufficient proofs to that effect.”
Regarding the lawsuit by the Chantrea district authority, Sam Rainsy said that this lawsuit has already reached the Svay Rieng provincial court.
Sam Rainsy added: “I know that the Chantrea district authorities [in Svay Rieng province] sued me, saying that I pulled out posts that are public properties because I pulled them out and threw them away. They claimed that these posts mark the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. SRP representatives who are councilors in Chantrea district informed me that the lawsuit case has reached the Svay Rieng provincial court already. They sue me for a criminal case, it is very serious, they accused me of destroying public properties.”
Mao Sotheany: Did you pull out these border posts or not?
Sam Rainsy: In general, the villagers talk about their needs, their tough livelihood, their poverty, but this time, they only spoke about on issue: the Yuons took Khmer lands. They did not talk about anything else, except the problem of people coming to plant posts. Who are these people? ‘These people’ designate the joint technical group which consists of 10 Vietnamese and 1 Cambodian. Before they planted the posts, they came to survey, but the villagers did not understand any of that, they said how can they survey the lands they are planting their crops on. These rice fields are Cambodian territories, they have been planting crops on them for the past 10-30 years already, nothing ever happen, until that one day, a few months ago, when the joint Yuon-Khmer technical group came over.
After the survey, they planted posts on the farmers’ fields, very deep inside Cambodian territories. Some villagers completely lost all their rice fields, several hectares of land, and for some others, the posts divide their lands into two parts, just like all the other farmers. So they were very angry and hurt, and they ask us, MPs, to help them because, in the past, they pulled out some of the posts that were recently planted, but the local authority in Svay Rieng province threatened them and told them that if they pull them out, they will be charged. When they saw the SRP MPs, they ask us to help, they said that the local authorities threatened them a lot. I saw that they were very hurt, they [the Viets] came to take their lands for no reason. I said that for all these posts, I take the responsibility for them, we must pull them out so that the farmers can reclaim their rice fields back, so that they plant their crops and continue to live normally.
Mao Sotheany: Did the villagers who lost their lands complained to the authority or not? Did they complain to the higher levels of the authority of not? How did they resolve this issue, did they complain or not?
Sam Rainsy: They don’t have the opportunity or the ability, they don’t have any contact. They live in an isolated village. They can only complaint to the village chief and to the commune office. They also complained to the border armed forces, the border police, but even the border police, our officials, they are very scared [of the Vietnamese], therefore, our farmers have nobody to depend on, that was why they took the opportunity of the Kathen organized by the SRP from Phnom Penh, hoping that someone important could help them out.
On Friday 30 October, the Vietnamese ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning Sam Rainsy’s action as being “a perverse action, damaging common property, violating both countries’ laws, and bilateral treaties and agreements.”
On Tuesday 03 November, RFA could not reach the Svay Rieng authority to obtain its reaction about Sam Rainsy’s statement above.
Sam Rainsy, who is currently in France after attending a conference in Egypt, told RFA over the phone that he is not alarmed about the lawsuit brought up by the Chantrea district authority accusing him of committing a crime by destroying public properties after he pulled out 6 wooden posts from a rice field belonging to [Cambodian] villagers on 25 October. The event took place when the SRP led a Kathen procession to Wat Ang Romdenh Pagoda, located about 200-300 meters from the Vietnamese border.
Sam Rainsy said that, regarding the accusation leveled against him, he would like to get the International court to resolve this case where Cambodian farmers lose their rice fields and he accused Vietnam of planting posts by encroaching on Cambodian farmers’ lands.
Sam Rainsy said: “I am not scared, if the Vietnamese government sues me, let them, if the current Phnom Penh regime sues me, let them, but I will sue to the International community, asking them to help protect Cambodian territories. I want the International [Paris Peace] conference on Cambodia to be reconvened, I will ask the 18 signatory countries in the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements to meet because the Cambodian territories are being violated right now. The Paris Agreements guarantee that all the signatory countries will help Cambodia when Cambodian territories are being violated. Now, the Cambodian territories are being violated, and we have sufficient proofs to that effect.”
Regarding the lawsuit by the Chantrea district authority, Sam Rainsy said that this lawsuit has already reached the Svay Rieng provincial court.
Sam Rainsy added: “I know that the Chantrea district authorities [in Svay Rieng province] sued me, saying that I pulled out posts that are public properties because I pulled them out and threw them away. They claimed that these posts mark the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. SRP representatives who are councilors in Chantrea district informed me that the lawsuit case has reached the Svay Rieng provincial court already. They sue me for a criminal case, it is very serious, they accused me of destroying public properties.”
Mao Sotheany: Did you pull out these border posts or not?
Sam Rainsy: In general, the villagers talk about their needs, their tough livelihood, their poverty, but this time, they only spoke about on issue: the Yuons took Khmer lands. They did not talk about anything else, except the problem of people coming to plant posts. Who are these people? ‘These people’ designate the joint technical group which consists of 10 Vietnamese and 1 Cambodian. Before they planted the posts, they came to survey, but the villagers did not understand any of that, they said how can they survey the lands they are planting their crops on. These rice fields are Cambodian territories, they have been planting crops on them for the past 10-30 years already, nothing ever happen, until that one day, a few months ago, when the joint Yuon-Khmer technical group came over.
After the survey, they planted posts on the farmers’ fields, very deep inside Cambodian territories. Some villagers completely lost all their rice fields, several hectares of land, and for some others, the posts divide their lands into two parts, just like all the other farmers. So they were very angry and hurt, and they ask us, MPs, to help them because, in the past, they pulled out some of the posts that were recently planted, but the local authority in Svay Rieng province threatened them and told them that if they pull them out, they will be charged. When they saw the SRP MPs, they ask us to help, they said that the local authorities threatened them a lot. I saw that they were very hurt, they [the Viets] came to take their lands for no reason. I said that for all these posts, I take the responsibility for them, we must pull them out so that the farmers can reclaim their rice fields back, so that they plant their crops and continue to live normally.
Mao Sotheany: Did the villagers who lost their lands complained to the authority or not? Did they complain to the higher levels of the authority of not? How did they resolve this issue, did they complain or not?
Sam Rainsy: They don’t have the opportunity or the ability, they don’t have any contact. They live in an isolated village. They can only complaint to the village chief and to the commune office. They also complained to the border armed forces, the border police, but even the border police, our officials, they are very scared [of the Vietnamese], therefore, our farmers have nobody to depend on, that was why they took the opportunity of the Kathen organized by the SRP from Phnom Penh, hoping that someone important could help them out.
On Friday 30 October, the Vietnamese ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning Sam Rainsy’s action as being “a perverse action, damaging common property, violating both countries’ laws, and bilateral treaties and agreements.”
On Tuesday 03 November, RFA could not reach the Svay Rieng authority to obtain its reaction about Sam Rainsy’s statement above.
17 comments:
Thank you Mr. Sam Rainsy for your hero act.
Well done, Mr. SRS and his party! What he has done with the pulling is what millions of Cambodians want to do. Thus he has lots of Khmers who support him and his bravery. KhOpen,
Sam Rainsy said: “I am not scared, if the Vietnamese government sues me, let them, if the current Phnom Penh regime sues me, let them, but I will sue to the International community, asking them to help protect Cambodian territories. I want the International [Paris Peace] conference on Cambodia to be reconvened, I will ask the 18 signatory countries in the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements to meet because the Cambodian territories are being violated right now. The Paris Agreements guarantee that all the signatory countries will help Cambodia when Cambodian territories are being violated. Now, the Cambodian territories are being violated, and we have sufficient proofs to that effect.”
WE NEED CPP TO EXPLAIN ABOUT THIS BORDER ISSUE!!! WHY THE BORDER POST PLAN ON KHMER RICE FIELD?
I am glad SR brave to do that. It is a time our Khmer show to the world how much Vietnam encroached on Cambodia's territory.
Vietnam just pretends to angry, but if you bring them to International Court, they will chicken out because the thief never brave to show up in front of the justice court.
Look at the Khmer Rouge case now, the formers KR working for CPP are scared to show up in front of the KR court even they are just the testifiers. Samething will happen to Vietnam.
Go to Phnom Denh and look at the border between Vietnam and Cambodia, we will show how far Vietnam encroached on Cambodia's territory. Vinh Te canal used to be the border, now the border moved into Cambodia territory's at least 2 to 3 km. Ask Vietnam to explain that.....
Oneday, China should take over Hanoi for what Vietnam owed China's support during Vietnam War.
I've never seen about the news issue about this problem, Why like that ? are they CPP Groups or they afraid ?
Thanks Mr. Sam Rainsy for your acting !
rise up or die, Khmer. And stop speculate the future events--no one can foresee the future. Khmer are passive and stupid.
Peace
It was not a good idea by Mr. Sam Raingsy. He should remove all out. All part of the Mekong Delta belongs to the Khmer Kingdom. Our border is in the middle of China Sea. We don't have border with Vietnam.
Svay Rieng- Svay Prormess neung svay krarb...poo kaer roak roeurng taer neung jiat aeng yoak jett pooj Yuon sattrov suor pooj.
Pooj a Svay Rieng phleu nass slor trei taing ach.
Cambodia future is full of smoke and cloud. Vietnamse's attempt on Cambodia is not changed. They will not use of forces to encroach Cambodia as they ever did.
I am so proud of you Mr. Ramsey, You are truly Khmer blood. We need many more Khmers like you to rebuild the country. Good job brother, please bring this issue attention the International community. Do not any of these scums can do whatever they wanted?
May the youns government get ten times fold of suffering to what they been doing to khmer and khmer land.
No individual can free us from the Fucking Evil Vietnamese!
The only way to do it is to reforme the infected Army, Police, and Justice!
Those three elements the Fucking Viet use to kill,imprison, and suppress us!
With no justice, freedome of speach, and laws! We will alway fuck up by the Motherfucker Evil Vietnamese! Under Shihanouk, Pol Pot, Hun Sen, or Sam Raisy!!!!
All Khmers around the world please offer your support behind Mr. Sam Rainsy. He is so courageous to defend our Khmer nation. We Khmer have lost so much, we can no longer afford to lose more lands to the Viets and Thais because we have a weak leadership from the Hun Sen regime.
Please write your letter to support Mr. Sam Rainsy. This is a matter of Khmer survival and honor to defend our territories.
Khmer Canada.
Please please, let's bring this case to the signatory countries that signed the Paris Peace Agreement. I want to see it happen like the KR trial.
គួរនាំគ្នាធ្វើបដ្ឋនាលិខិតទៅប្រទេស
ហត្ថលេខីឲ្យបានច្រើនឲ្យគេនឹកដល់
រឿងដ៏អភ័ព្វរបស់ខ្មែរយើងផង។
Please show us how we can help to write letter to our senator,write letter to support mp samrainsy, or should we can demonstrate in front of white house, please we cannot afford to stand by and watch, I want to help khmer people to uprise against the viet thief, to stop the thief from encroach on our mother land. We must show support to our country men and women who tirelessly put their life online to protect our mother land, bravery sam rainsy,god bless you,khmer people, and khmer national soverieghty. To hell the viet theif, Hun Sen and cpp cronies.
Now I have heard from time to time some groups of people who opposed Sam Rainsy by criticizing him in last 10 years about his inability to govern or not winning the elections etc....to those people I said none of you had or dare confront any issue with P.M. Hun Sen face to face or in public but only in writing or Bann Te Krao Spok or Krao Sayvien, so with this latest act, let's all unite behind Mr. Sam Raingsy and stop fighting with one another but let's all unite.
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