Tep Nimol
The Phnom Penh Post
One Cambodian was fatally shot, two were injured and more than 100 others fled Thailand under gunfire on Saturday after Thai soldiers allegedly discovered them illegally logging rosewood near Preah Vihear province, military officials said yesterday.
Ten men were unable to escape and were captured by Thai authorities in the aftermath of the shooting, which occurred in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, Meas Yoeun, deputy military commander in Preah Vihear province’s Choam Ksan district, told the Post yesterday.
The Thais claimed that their gunfire was an act of “self-protection” because the Cambodians had fired first, Meas Yoeun reported. However, the deputy military commander said that the group of loggers did not own firearms.
“The Cambodians did not have guns, as the Thais alleged. They just had knives and axes to log the rosewood,” Meas Yoeun said, adding that it was “illegal” for the Thais to shoot at Cambodian civilians.
Pich Vanna, deputy director of the Cambodia-Thai border office, similarly decried the shooting, calling for a “ceasefire” and accusing the Thais of firing on Cambodians as if they were animals.
The deputy director also said he had filed a notice to Thai officials on Sunday asking for permission for Cambodian authorities to search for the body of the slain logger and for the repatriation of the 10 who were detained, but had not yet received a response.
Lor Chan, provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc in Preah Vihear, said the shooting was a “serious abuse of human rights”.
“Human life isn’t like an animal’s life. You can’t just shoot people whenever you feel like it,” Lor Chan said.
This most recent shooting comes in the wake of increased numbers of Cambodian loggers being killed during border crossings.
Recent figures from rights group Adhoc claim 13 Cambodian illegal loggers were shot and killed in the first quarter of the year by Thai soldiers. With that figure now at 14, the numbers appear on pace to rise markedly from 2011, when only 13 Cambodians were killed in the entire year.
Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this month challenged military commanders, police and local authorities to launch a “campaign” to help prevent the illegal crossing into Thailand by Cambodian loggers.
3 comments:
i think the evil siem soldiers try to send a message for khmer not to log in their country. but what i don't like is that siem/thai shot at unarmed khmer civilians. why they have to shot to kill? don't they have another way to capture them and send them to court, etc? it shows the evil siem and their true color. i hope the world will read this and see to it that siem/thai are evil, bad people who shoot and kill khmer civilians. siem/thai will earn that name if they keep on doing this. soon, everyone will start hating siem/thai for their evil and cruel, etc.
This is the very reason that Khmer leadesr will never find peace with Siem thuggish leaders!
A simple siem soldier would never dare to take human life unless the Siem thuggish leaders allowed it!
If the Siem thuggish leaders want to smile and the Khmer must not smile with them!
If the Siem thuggish leaders want to eat, drink, and play sport and the Khmer must not eat, drink, and play sport with them!
If the Siem thuggish leaders want peace and it is their peace and not Khmer peace!
Cambodia must build DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) to protect Khmer citizen like the same one between the North Korea and the South Korea. The monument will be built along Cambodian border to honest the Cambodian civilians massacred by the Siem thuggish soldiers!
THOSE THAI SOLDIERS SHOULD BE CAPTURED , BROUGHT TO KHMER
COURT AND CHARGE WITH " UNINTENTIONAL SHOOTING "
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