A thief giveth … a burglar taketh them away

20 sewing machines donated by Hun Xen to Hun Xen Chheu Teal high school all stolen

09 April 2010
By Koh Ekareach
Koh Santepheap
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Takeo – 20 sewing machines donated by Hun Xen and his chumteav to the Hun Xen Chheu Teal high school, located on Roka Krao commune, Daun Keo city, in 2007 were all stolen by a group of burglars who broke the lock to the door and went in to steal all of them at 1AM on 07 April. Due to this robbery, the high school principal was scolded for his lacking in the administration and for his lack of responsibility. A teacher from the high school indicated that these sewing machines were donation by Hun Xen and his chumteav, and the burglars took them all, including a number of other materials that were stored in the room. The burglars pried on the door metal bars and were able to unlock the key before entering the room and took everything away safely without anybody knowing about them.

It was not until 8AM on the next morning that the incident was known. The same teacher above added that when Hun Xen donated the 20 sewing machines, as well as 5 computers and 2 printers. However, of the 5 computers donated to the school, the city decided to take one away for its own use, another one disappeared for no reason and only 3 were left to the school. It should be noted that in all high schools in Cambodia, the principal would organize round-the-clock guard by teachers, but for the Hun Xen Chheu Teal high school, Va Van, the principal, hired an outside employee to guard the school. When we met Va Van, he said that with such a big high school, nobody can guard it completely, he said that even a locked private house can still be broken in by burglars.

It’s not that the high school does not have a guard, in fact it has a night guard, but on the day of the burglary, the guard did not know about it. Meas Sophon, the police inspector for Daun Keo city, answered over the phone that his place has no information for reporters, if the reporters want to know, they should go to the spot because he is so busy that he does not even have time to sleep, and he said that the school has no guard that was why the burglars can break in. Nut Khon, the director of the provincial education, youth and sport department told Koh Santepheap over the phone that about this burglary, up to now, Va Van, the school principal, has not reported the case to him yet.

Hun Sen warns his critics: Mr Hun Sen can you tell us something new?

Hun Sen warns his critics

27 June 2007
By Khim Sarang
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Prime Minister Hun Sen warned those who criticized the soldiers who support him that these soldiers may not be like the criticisms made against the humanitarian aids provided by Hun Sen.

Hun Sen said: “I am telling all these people (critics), if the soldiers and population can truly hear you, sometimes, they can show up at your home to look for you. What you are doing is preventing the humanitarian work of Mr Hun Sen.”

Nevertheless, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that even though Hun Sen’s speech is a threat attempt, it is nothing more than a smokescreen, and that the police officers, the soldiers and other members of the armed forces are all victims.

Sam Rainsy said: “This threat attempt is a smokescreen that no one will pay attention to, because those who perpetrate corruption, they stole millions, tens of millions, hundred of millions of dollars from the state coffer. This is what we call corruption that leads the country to its ruin, just like the deforestation of tens of thousands of hectares of forest, the confiscation of tens of thousands of hectares of lands from the people, the stealing of state revenue by the millions of dollars, these are corruption. But our brothers and sisters who are police officers, soldiers, they receive too low salaries that they cannot live on, this forced them to earn money on the side so that they can live on a day-to-day basis, we don’t consider that as corruption.”