Viet Evacuate village - ភូមិយួនជន្លៀស - By Anonymous

A New Chapter of Betrayal Is Being Written in Our History

26 June 2012
Op-Ed by Khmer Academy

No stability, social development or economic progress can justify the loss of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. To believe otherwise is to succumb to treason, a misdeed that my conscience, and I trust yours too, can neither accept nor allow.

Our country is presently going through another dark moment of its history as we witness a new chapter of betrayal is being written. The authority has recently admitted that several villages, including the birth place of H.E. Heng Samrin, the current Chairman of the National Assembly, will be ceded as part of the Eastern border demarcation process. This is totally in contrast to what it has said, and unjustly prosecuted those who disagreed, for years that not a single millimeter of our lands would be lost.

The authority, with its justification, wants us to believe that due to the different accuracies found in maps with different scales, some adjustments along the border have to be made, thus unavoidably resulting in some villages on both sides being swapped. If that is really the case, why so far only villages on our side but none on the other side have been identified to the public? It is incomprehensible and unacceptable that the alleged errors and map inaccuracies only occur on our side. How can a village where the Chairman of the National Assembly and his siblings before him were born, raised and farmed belong to another country? Note that on the 6th of August 1966, Hanoi declared: "Thlok Trach village [is] on Cambodian territory". Why is it no longer the case?

រមាស់ក្តឆ្មា - កំណាព្យដោយ ស្រី ស្រអែម

Agreement on border reached [-Vietnamese encroachments agreed by Hoon Xhen's regime?]

sVar Kim Hong (r) and the Vietnamese Deputy of Foreign Affairs, Ho Xaun Son (l). Photo by Mai Vireak

Thursday, 15 March 2012
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodia and Vietnam signed a letter of agreement yesterday for the completion of 70 per cent of soon-to-be-placed demarcating markers along their 1,270-kilometre shared border.

The agreement, signed by the head of Cambodia’s border affairs, sVar Kim Hong, and the Vietnamese deputy of foreign affairs, Ho Xaun Son, stipulates that the countries will split the cost of markers and the cost of new mapping along the border. (KI-Media Note: No more free border markers by Big Brother Yuon?)

“There is equality in the agreement regarding the construction of markers and air-mapping. The demarcating of the border of the two countries is expected to be completed this year,” Var Kim Hong said.

Ho Xaun Son said yesterday the demarcation of the border was in line with international laws as well border treaties of 1985 and 2005.

But opposition Sam Rainsy Pary spokesman Yim Sovann said the agreement seriously undermined the constitution of Cambodia.

“We have never acknowledged these treaties, and there is no legal standing,” he said.

Coward CPP MPs scared to visit border post with Vietnam, do they even understand their duty as MP?

Cheam Yeab (Photo: RFA)

CPP MPs refuse to visit borderline

21 Nov. 2010
By Pen Bona
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Oss Srok
Click here to read the article in Khmer

CPP MPs, who controlled the largest number of parliament seats, claimed that they have no need to visit the border posts as requested by the opposition party because they have total trust in the CPP government. This claim was made after SRP MPs invited all MPs from all parties to visit and review the border post planting to confirm them on their own. However, the request was rejected by the ruling CPP party and, in turn, these CPP MPs viewed this request as an attempt for political gain.

Cheam Yeab, the CPP MP from Prey Veng province, made this rejection this weekend, saying that MPs from the ruling CPP party who hold 90 seats at the National Assembly (NatAss), have no need to visit the border post planting as requested by the opposition because they trust the CPP government. Cheam Yeab explained that the NatAss provided its confidence vote to the government to lead the country, therefore, the government is responsible in front of the NatAss and in front of all the Cambodian people. Furthermore, the government has experts in border affairs.

The reaction came after SRP MPs asked all MPs, including CPP MPs, to visit the border post planting operation along the Viet border so that they may see the situation directly. However, to Cheam Yeab, MPs have no border expertise, therefore, MPs have no basis to evaluate the border post planting.

The border affair is a topic of contention between the government and the opposition, as well as a number of civil society organizations. The SRP plans the visit a border post located in Dar commune, Memot district, Kompong Cham province by the end of November. The plan to visit the border post took place after more than 200 villagers protested, saying that they lost their rice fields and farmlands because of the planting of this border post.

However, sVar Kim Hong, chairman of the government border committee, considered this protest as a result of incitation from the SRP. This border expert claimed that the planting of border post no. 109 in Dar commune, Memot district, was done with the participation of the local authority and the local population, and this operation did not lead to any loss of farmers’ land.

Nevertheless, Rong Chhun’s group from the Cambodia Watchdog Council also plans to visit this border post in Memot district on 24 November. However, Cheam Yeap indicated that the opposition and the civil society’s raising of this border problem was only done to gain popularity (sic!).

07 January paroxysm

Hun Sen threatens to arrest those who distribute leaflets looking down on 07 January

Tuesday, January 05, 2009
DAP news
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Kandal – On 05 January 010, prime minister Hun Xen used stern warning and threatened to arrest all groups of people who plan to distribute leaflets that look down on 07 January, a date that the CPP government will commemorate in the upcoming 2 days.

During an inauguration for a second section of National Road No. 1, and the opening of the repair of the 3rd section of this same road in Kien Svay district, Kandal province, Hun Xen indicated that he already knows the identity of the groups that plan to distribute these leaflets looking down on 07 January already. He said that he will order for an immediate arrest if such action takes place, because looking down on 07 January is looking down on him personally and also looking down on the entire CPP.

Hun Xen said that these leaflets were printed in Thailand and sent to Cambodia for distribution.

It should be noted that, yesterday, Hun Xen criticized and called groups of people who do not recognize 07 January as being worst than beast. Hun Xen’s claim on Tuesady is taking place 2 days prior to the 31st anniversary of 07 January, the date Pol Pot’s regime was toppled (and Cambodia became a Vietnamese colony).

Kratie province to be absorbed by the Indochinese Triangle: Bravo Hung Xen and Cham Praxid for allowing the encroachment!?!?

Development triangle expands area

23/12/2009
Vietnam Net Bridge (Hanoi)

Binh Phuoc province of Vietnam , Champassak province of Laos and Caroche Kratie province of Cambodia will be added to the development triangle area in the future.

Ministers and Co-Chairmen of the Joint Coordination Committee on Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Vo Hong Phuc of Vietnam, Cham Prasidh of Cambodia and Silavong Khutphaythun of Laos and key officials of 10 provinces in the area reached consensus on the expansion at the 4th conference of the committee held in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lak, Vietnam, on Dec. 22.

The three countries also agreed to boost investment cooperation in the development triangle area with long-term and comprehensive projects and build policies to suit laws in each country.

The countries will also draw out plans and conditions for implementation through signed documents at the governmental level.

Each side will prepare human resources for foreign affairs, investment cooperation and trade sectors, as well as coordinate to build a programme on investment promotion and improvement of infrastructure, especially transport, power, and agricultural projects.

The three co-chairmen of the committee proposed to upgrade the website of the committee.

Participants in the conference praised the exchanges of young people among localities in the area and expressed wish that those activities be boosted.

They also agreed that the 5th conference of the committee will be held in Ratanakiri of Cambodia in March 2010.

The development triangle is now covering an area of 111,021 sq.km with 4.2 million people. The area includes Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Dak Nong of Vietnam , Atopeu, Saravane and Sekong of Laos, Mondolkiri, Ratanakiri and Stungtreng of Cambodia. The area has an important strategic role in politics, economy, society and the ecological environment.

Heng Samrin discussing border demarcation with Vietnam?

Vietnam, Cambodia boost neighborliness

HANOI, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Comprehensive cooperation and border demarcation were two of the topics in the spotlight during discussions between Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong and Cambodian National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday.

Samdech Heng Samrin paid an official friendship visit to Vietnam from Jan. 15 to Jan. 19, at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Phu Trong.

Trong praised Samdech Heng Samrin's outstanding contributions to strengthening and developing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, after congratulating him on his re-election as Chairman of Cambodia National Assembly.

Vietnam always nurtures the traditional friendly ties and comprehensive cooperation with Cambodia under the motto of "good neighborliness, traditional friendship and comprehensive and long-lasting cooperation", said Trong.

Heng Samrin spoke highly of cooperation between the two legislatures, focusing on a range of activities, including the exchange of high-level National Assembly delegations and delegations of National Assembly agencies and friendship parliamentarians' groups, the arranging of visits for researchers to exchange experiences and the hosting of seminars and meetings for National Assembly agencies to exchange views.

Regarding border demarcation, the two sides expressed satisfaction on initial results of land border demarcation and marker planting conducted by joint efforts of the two countries in the past years.

Heng Samrin said that the successful settlement of the boundary issue is expected to reach by 2012.

The approval of the supplementary land border treaty by the two sides will help to realize Vietnam-Cambodia land border determination treaty and nurture the time-honored friendship, said Trong.

Heng Samrin expressed his thanks to Vietnam for its sincere assistance to the Cambodian people in their past struggles and during their current goal of national construction and development.

Trong concluded the discussions by expressing his thanks to Cambodia for its support to Vietnam's course of development in the past years, especially helping Vietnam gather and return home remains of Vietnam soldiers left in Cambodia.