Interview on former Khmer Veterans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO5Y0U_SkWA

Die for the country and your widow will receive … $1.88 per 3 months from the government, when she can at all

Mrs. Et Khamta is showing the meager benefit she receives from the government.

Thursday 04 August 2011
[Pro-CPP] Koh Santepheap Daily
Translated from Khmer by Botum Soriya

Stung Treng – On 02 August, a woman who was leaving the provincial office of the welfare and veteran affairs department was complaining that the office paid her only a meager 7,500 riels ($1.88) per 3 months for the loss her husband, a soldier who was killed on duty by the KR in the 80s.

63-year-old Et Khamta was the elderly woman above. She lives in Phluk village, Phluk commune, Sesan district. She said that Nou Orn, her husband, joined the militia in Phluk village during the People’s Republic of Kampuchea era (Heng Samrin’s puppet regime). During his patrol in Sesan district, Nou Orn was killed a KR sniper. His name was registered in the welfare and veteran affairs department, but she did not how much the benefit she can obtain, only that every three months, the department of welfare sends her the money through other villagers.

She added that on 02 August, she went to cash out the benefit money directly from the welfare department. She received 7,500 riels ($1.88) after paying the association due. She complained that with 7,500 riels, she couldn’t even pay the bus fare back home because they charged her 15,000 riels ($3.75). Furthermore, in order to come and cash the benefit, she had to sell one of her chickens which earned her an income of 25,000 riels ($6.25) for the trip expense. She said that for 7,500 riels in benefit, she cannot afford to come and cash it anymore because, at the end, she has nothing left.

Hun Sen elected as veterans president

Thursday, June 21, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Prime Minister Hun Sen was elected as president of the association of veterans of Cambodia during an election held at an internal congress of the association on Wednesday. Rasmei Kampuchea reported that this congress also elected Tea Banh, Minister of Defense, as the secretary-general and a member of the 74-member central committee of the association. Ith Som Heng said that the formation of the association of veterans was an idea of Hun Sen in order to raise the standards of veterans in the society to be in par with the service they rendered to the country. He said that now, there are more than 80,000 veterans who are receiving pensions from the state.