New base an uneasy neighbour
Military
police stand by armoured personnel carriers inside a military base in
Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district on Monday. DANIEL QUINLAN
Dozens
of armoured personnel carriers, at least 100 military police and a
number of shipping containers have quietly been amassed at a previously
scarcely used base in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo district ahead of this
Saturday’s opposition rally.
Residents and military police officers said the forces had begun moving into the base, which is near the Prek Pnov bridge, about one month ago, while the shipping containers had been brought in about two weeks ago.
A group of military police officers having a boozy picnic on the outskirts of the base on Monday told reporters they had come from provinces across the country to do exercises and “protect the safety of the people” but shied away from further questions.
The base, located on the site of a former Chinese resort that was demolished in 2007, is just one of more than a dozen military installations in and around the capital.
Last month, military officials said thousands of soldiers and police from across the country were being deployed to Phnom Penh to maintain security. Quartered in makeshift bases around town, the soldiers cut an uneasy presence.
While some residents have expressed trepidation about their new neighbours, Prek Pnov commune chief Pich Sinuon insisted there was nothing to be alarmed about.
“I do not know where the military police came from. It is their internal issue, but there is no reason that residents should be afraid of them or tanks. It is for keeping social order and national security,” he said.
Construction on the base, he said, had begun in 2007, though residents said that it had since been used only sporadically for ceremonial preparations.
Though not overtly worried about potential violence, those living near the base said to a man they were uneasy about the presence of forces and spoke only on the condition of anonymity.
The number of forces at the base had swelled to between 150 and 200 military personnel, who conducted drills daily alongside their APCs, a 43-year-old vendor said on Tuesday.
“I feel surprised with a little fear when seeing the unusual movement from the provinces, but we do not know where to go because our home is here,” he said, adding he did not dare approach the base for fear of being accused of spying.
As
for fighting, he continued, he wasn’t particularly concerned about an
outbreak of violence. After all, only “one side” had guns.
An assistant to National Military Police spokesman Kheng Tito, who declined to give her name, said yesterday, “It’s not as serious as you think; it was just training”.
She could not explain exactly what the purpose of the shipping containers was, stating simply that she believed they were Japanese and used for training, before directing further questions to another official who directed questions back to Kheng Tito, who could not be reached for comment.
Officers at the base this week could be seen performing drills with riot shields during the day. Much of the time, however, they appeared to simply meander around the base washing clothes, bathing and playing volleyball.
A 53-year-old resident living alongside the base said military officers and APCs had been transported into the base at nighttime.
“Many more came after the election. They walked across my land, but they never caused any problem with us,” he said, pointing to a line of APCs inside the base, which is the size of several football fields.
Another vendor said four or five military police officers had been guarding the Prek Pnov bridge since the election, though they had not been stopping any vehicles.
Minding her baby son at her roadside drink shop, a 30-year-old woman said she had grown familiar with the site of large numbers of troops and military vehicles in Battambang province when the government was fighting Pol Pot’s forces [in the 1980s and ’90s].
“I see tanks [APCs] and armed police every day, and I am getting used to it. It’s not scary,” she said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MAY TITTHARA AND DAVID BOYLE.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-base-uneasy-neighbour
Residents and military police officers said the forces had begun moving into the base, which is near the Prek Pnov bridge, about one month ago, while the shipping containers had been brought in about two weeks ago.
A group of military police officers having a boozy picnic on the outskirts of the base on Monday told reporters they had come from provinces across the country to do exercises and “protect the safety of the people” but shied away from further questions.
The base, located on the site of a former Chinese resort that was demolished in 2007, is just one of more than a dozen military installations in and around the capital.
Last month, military officials said thousands of soldiers and police from across the country were being deployed to Phnom Penh to maintain security. Quartered in makeshift bases around town, the soldiers cut an uneasy presence.
While some residents have expressed trepidation about their new neighbours, Prek Pnov commune chief Pich Sinuon insisted there was nothing to be alarmed about.
“I do not know where the military police came from. It is their internal issue, but there is no reason that residents should be afraid of them or tanks. It is for keeping social order and national security,” he said.
Construction on the base, he said, had begun in 2007, though residents said that it had since been used only sporadically for ceremonial preparations.
Though not overtly worried about potential violence, those living near the base said to a man they were uneasy about the presence of forces and spoke only on the condition of anonymity.
The number of forces at the base had swelled to between 150 and 200 military personnel, who conducted drills daily alongside their APCs, a 43-year-old vendor said on Tuesday.
“I feel surprised with a little fear when seeing the unusual movement from the provinces, but we do not know where to go because our home is here,” he said, adding he did not dare approach the base for fear of being accused of spying.
An assistant to National Military Police spokesman Kheng Tito, who declined to give her name, said yesterday, “It’s not as serious as you think; it was just training”.
She could not explain exactly what the purpose of the shipping containers was, stating simply that she believed they were Japanese and used for training, before directing further questions to another official who directed questions back to Kheng Tito, who could not be reached for comment.
Officers at the base this week could be seen performing drills with riot shields during the day. Much of the time, however, they appeared to simply meander around the base washing clothes, bathing and playing volleyball.
A 53-year-old resident living alongside the base said military officers and APCs had been transported into the base at nighttime.
“Many more came after the election. They walked across my land, but they never caused any problem with us,” he said, pointing to a line of APCs inside the base, which is the size of several football fields.
Another vendor said four or five military police officers had been guarding the Prek Pnov bridge since the election, though they had not been stopping any vehicles.
Minding her baby son at her roadside drink shop, a 30-year-old woman said she had grown familiar with the site of large numbers of troops and military vehicles in Battambang province when the government was fighting Pol Pot’s forces [in the 1980s and ’90s].
“I see tanks [APCs] and armed police every day, and I am getting used to it. It’s not scary,” she said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MAY TITTHARA AND DAVID BOYLE.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/new-base-uneasy-neighbour
3 comments:
Dictator displays its muscles to scares off the Khmers innocent people,will not work this time.Ah Sen Hun must dies and goes to HELL to lives with his mother that he had killed and his father that hated him so much...Psycho Hun sen must step down as soon as possible,castrate the gaylord's king and ah Phay Siphan or Hennessy Kanjas ott rith khiev mouth piece of Cpp thugs.
Castrate'em all including Hun Tho a drug kingpin a nephew/son of ah kwaq Sen from different whore.
Prahok
I heard yourn try to build a community on boko mountain today. They believe it special sacred place for them to build their temple. Remember kos trang is just across from phnom boko. They are very tricky. Watch out! Burn that casino to the ground.
ខ្មែរកំពុងមានជីវភាពនយោបាយ ស្ថិតក្នុងសភាព ខ្មែរត្រូវតែរួបរួមគ្នា! ធ្វើអ្វីៗដើម្បីជាតិមិនមែនស្រួលដូចបកចេកទេ! សូមកុំធ្វើអ្វីដូចបរទេសធ្លាប់ដៀលយើងថា៖
"ខ្មែរធ្វើអ្វីឆេះតែមួយឆាវដូចភ្លើងចម្បើង រួចរលត់បាត់យើងចាំតែទទួលផលទៅ"
យើងមិននិយាយ តម្រង់លើបុគ្គលណាទេ! គឺយើងតម្រង់ទាមទា៖
យកអ្វីជារបស់ខ្មែរ!
ខ្មែរត្រូវរស់សមជាមនុស្សក្នុងប្រទេស មានលទ្ធិប្រជាធិប្បតេយ្យពិតប្រាកដ!
មាន រដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ ត្រូវបដិបត្តិ!
បញ្ឈប់ ការហូរចូលនឹងផ្ទុក ជនបរទេសខុសច្បាប់ អោយជិះជាន់ខ្មែរ!
ខ្មែរត្រូវរស់ជាប្រជាជាតិមួយ ដែលមាន សុវឌ្ឍិកម្មនឹងសុវត្ថិភាព ក្នុងបច្ចុប្បន្ននឹងអនាគត របស់ខ្លួន!
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