Land conflict: Villagers say police razed their homes

Monday, 02 January 2012
Phak Seangly
The Phnom Penh Post

More than 100 families had their homes in Preah Vihear province’s Choam Ksan district dismantled by a roughly 300-strong force of armed soldiers and military police officials over the weekend, villagers said yesterday, with only about 30 homes left standing.

Phan Poeun, a representative of families in Kantuot commune’s Svay Chrum village, claimed that on Friday officials had begun to disassemble the families’ homes and ordered villagers to accept 2 million riel in compensation (US$495) in exchange for relocation.

“The armed forces surrounded our homes and threatened to burn our homes down if we declined to dismantle,” he said.

Illegal border marker found on top of Dangrek Mountains

The Preah Vihear task force officials inspect the illegal border marker at point 766 on the top of Dangrek Mountains.(All phots are from Koh Santepheap, Photos by Vontha).

Koh Santepheap newspaper
12th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Cambodian border officials have dismantled an illegal border marker on top of the Dangrek Mountains, suspected to have planted by Thai soldiers. First it was suspected that the border marker has just been freshly planted, but after close examination it was concluded that it was planted 15-20 years ago during the Cambodian civil war.

The illegal marker was found by accident by bush trackers on 9th March, 2009 who then reported the find to the Cambodian officials.

A Preah Vihear task force, led by Maj-Gen. Sor Thary, deputy governor of Preah Vihear province, comprised of Brig-Gen. Som Bopharoth, commander of Preah Vihear region, Mr. Kao Lung, governor of Choam Ksan district and included 40 other Cambodian border officials, set off to search for the alleged illegal border marker on the morning of 11th March.

The group climbed the Dangrek Mountains at border point 500 east of An Sess Pass, reaching the mountain top at 11 o’clock in the morning. The group climbed through dangerous and inaccessible areas for 7 hours. They reached border point 766, the point where the illegal border marker was found, at 6 o’clock in the afternoon.

Border point 766 is the highest point of Dangrek Mountains which is located in Teuk Krohorm (Red Water) commune in Choam Ksan, about 9 kilometres east of An Sess border pass.

The alleged illegal border marker was made from a steel pipe and is about 15cm in diametres which was buried about half a metre deep and sticks out about half a metre high above the ground. It was buried with concrete very solidly and was located at co-ordinates VA98,956-8365 of point 766, which is the highest point of the Dangrek Mountain.

After carefully examining the marker, the group decided to dismantle it. The group said that this border marker was located about 1 kilometre from the Thai military barracks. The group added that the Thai soldiers did not know that they were there.

The border marker was suspected to have been planted by Thai soldiers during the Cambodian civil war in the mid-1980s.

The group stayed there only about one hour and because night time is approaching they decided to descend the mountains at about 7 o’clock, walking through perilous minefields in the dark of the night. Because it is too dangerous to walk through the minefields at night time, the group decided to sleep half way on the mountains. At 6:30am, the group continued the journey and reached the foot of the mountain at 9am. The group then reached Choam Ksan at 11am on the 12th of March.

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The task force members stop to get some water from the natural pond.

The task force travel to point 500 on top of Dangrek Mountains.

The task force officials reached point 500 on top of Dangrek Mountains.

The Cambodia border task force officials climb to border point 766.

Cambodian officials inspect the illegal border marker.

The border marker that has been dismantled.

Four Thais arrested for illegally crossing inot Cambodian territory

Radio Free Adsia
By Sav Yuth
12th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Khmer border soldiers claimed that they have arrested four Thai nationals for illegally entering Cambodian territory at Choam Ksan district in Preah Vihear province.

Maj. Meas Yoeun, border commander for Choam Ksan district of Preah Vihear province, told RFA on the morning of 12th March that his soldiers had arrested for Thai nationals at Prolean Tatum, Po Veal village, Choam Ksan commune, in the afternoon of 10th March.

He said: "These four Thai nationals live in Obun province, Khanthalak district. They come to hunt in the areas and our border force patrolling in the Prolean Tatum border point saw them and arrested them. We have sent them to the police already."

These Thai nationals were found carrying three home-made guns and three batteries with them.

Mr. Preap Tan, governor of Preah Vihear, said that the four claimed that they are normal Thai citizens but they were found with weapons that are capable of killing so they were sent for questioning waiting for contacts from the Thai side before deciding what to do with them.

RFA is unable to seek comments from the arrested four Thai nationals nor the Thai embassy.

Since the beginning of February, there were reports of many arrests of Thai nationals who were illegally crossing the border into Khmer territories, with a lone Thai soldier arrested on 26th February carrying many 69-type explosives and a map. On 27th February, another lone Thai soldier was arrested near the former mango plantation of Ta Mok in Anlong Veng.
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Delay in the release of a Thai national arrested for illegally crossing the Cambodian borders

The four Thai soldiers who were arrested and detained for illegally entering Cambodia at Choam Sra-Ngam Checkpoint on 28th February, 2009.

Deum Ampil newspaper
12th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is due to hold a ceremony on 11th March to hand over an arrested Thai national for illegally entering Cambodian territory on 27th February carrying many 69-type explosives and a map.

Mr. Koy Kuong, spoksman for the Foreign Ministry told Deum Ampil newspaper on the morning of 11th March that the ceremony had been cancelled, but he did not specify the reasons behind the cancellation.

The lone Thai soldier was arredted on 27th February at O'Kro-Nhoung border point in Anlong Veng. Recently, there are reports of arrests of up 9 Thai soldiers and Thai civilian for illegally entering Cambodian territories in Ouddor Meanchey, Preah Vihear and Banteay Meanchey provinces.