Phnom Penh to Demarcation Post 270, Takeo Province – The Struggle for Cambodia’s Territorial Sovereignty

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3rd June 2010, Phnom Penh to Demarcation Post 270, Takeo Province – The Struggle for Cambodia’s Territorial Sovereignty

Earlier in the week, the SRP had informed the authorities of its plan to visit border demarcation post 270 on the Cambodia-Vietnam border in Takeo Province, Borei Cholsar district, Chey Chork commune. Based on villagers’ personal complaints, the SRP was determined to carry out a fact-finding mission on the government’s alleged plantation of a temporary demarcation for Vietnam on Cambodia’s territory. The authorities had rejected the SRP’s demand with the President of the National Assembly, Heng Samrin, forbidding this visit earlier in the week. However, as SRP spokesman Yim Sovann declared on Wednesday 2nd June, “we are the lawmakers, so we have the obligation […] [and] we have the right to monitor government action.” Mr Sovann had also added that this visit was to be done peacefully, solely to visit the border.

Thus, on Thursday 3rd June, as planned, 22 SRP lawmakers, accompanied by local and international journalists, gathered at the party’s headquarters early in the morning. Leaving with a dozen of cars, the group slowly gained in size, as more SRP members joined it along the way, finally reaching over 100 people.

However, the journey to the border was not without blockades. As the group approached the border, it faced several barriers, at first from the police, and then from villagers themselves. First, after only a 2-hour drive, the convoy was arrested by the District police, pretexting the illegality of some of the motorbikes accompanying it. Police were unable to justify their action, considered by the lawmakers after a threat to SRP activists the motorbikes were let go.

Soon however, at Prey Yuthka village, 3-4 kilometers away from post 270, the group faced another barricade: this time, a blocked bridge. The villagers had set a truck- belonging to the village chief, to stop the SRP convoy, claiming it was not their duty as MPs to carry out such mission. Despite attempts at discussion, the group of villagers, followed closely by the local police, showed no flexibility. Wanting to avoid confrontation with the villagers and yet determined to carry out its duty to protect Cambodia’s territorial sovereignty, the SRP members tried to find a way around. After one member of the group jumped into the river and walked across in knee-length high water levels, the entire group followed. And thus, the delegation continued its fact-finding mission on foot.

After 2km of walking, the group faced its third and final barrier, at An Chan village. There, an even larger group of villagers, accompanied again closely by members of the police, bared the road. Again, it refused for the SRP to carry out its objective, arguing it was not the duty of MPs to check borders, but only that of the government. Further, the divide at post 270 was only a temporary one and they had received orders from their commanders and would not move until/if these changed.

At this point, SRP spokesperson Yim Sovann spoke through microphone on behalf of the delegation, emphasizing the struggles it had gone through during this 5-hour trip and the illegitimate police interventions, thus revealing the group’s continued determination to carry out its duty of checking post 270 on behalf of the people. Mr Sovann continued his intervention declaring the government had forbidden this visit until now, thus maintaining a lack of transparency in the country’s border demarcation and ultimately, the country’s sovereignty. The two groups discussed for several minutes, exchanging questions and comments, including on the SRP’s support of the government strict border policy with Thailand and its determination to ensure it applied the same principles on the border with Vietnam. Further, the SRP restated its determination to visit this border post in the future and this for the benefit of Cambodians, and would thus now ask the Government’s Committee on Borders to check the delineation again.

For the first time, the SRP did not face opposition from police forces, but villagers themselves. Wanting to respect their position, the SRP members decided to go back. Yet, on the way back, the members met several inhabitants of An Chan village who affirmed all had been threatened and/or paid by the authorities to oppose the SRP’s fact-finding mission. Two of the villagers confirmed that their rice fields have been encroached and once the border demarcation posts are made permanent they would lose up to 2 hectares of land, thus cutting their family income and denying them the right to land tenure as they have been living on the land for over two decades. One of the two villagers is seeking refuge in Phnom Penh as he has received direct threat from provincial authorities.