Vietnam bans Cambodians from building a pagoda fence next to the border in Memot
22 Oct 2008
By Zakaria
Radio Free Asia
Translated by Socheata
Click here to read the original article in Khmer
The Yuon border authority prevented the construction of a fence for a Cambodian pagoda located next to the Khmer-Yuon border, in Boeng Chrong pass, Choam commune, Memot District, Kampong Cham. The Yuon claimed that this area is a white zone (disputed zone, i.e. no man’s land).
Pim Khen, a member of the pagoda committee, told RFA on Wednesday 22 October that Wat Kirichey pagoda was built since very long ago, and the pagoda is located next the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. The pagoda occupies a more than one-hectare land with a fence in the front and the two sides, only the back of the pagoda is not fenced yet, so the pagoda committee decided to build this 100-meter long fence. However, the Yuon authority prevented it from happening.
Pim Khen said: “We planned to build the fence. This is not for building a border, we only want to build a fence to protect the vegetables grown by the monks, but now the Yuon told us to stop and not to do anything.”
He added that the Yuon prevention took place on 07 October when Sun, the Yuon deputy director of the border post, came to Cambodia and prevented the pagoda committee from continuing to build the fence.
Sim Ravy, the director of the Cambodian border post, said that after the Yuon border authority prevented the construction of the pagoda fence, he went to meet the Yuon side and he was told by the Yuon that the pagoda is located on the white zone, therefore both sides cannot build anything there, and the pagoda has to wait until the border committee install border markers first.
Sim Ravy: “This area, when we look at it, it looks like out lands, but the two governments (Hun Sen’s and the Yuon’s governments) concluded a convention that impose a wait until 2008 when the border makers will be installed.”
Prak Vanny, Choam commune chief, said that the construction of the fence was done according to the old pagoda fence which was made out of wood, and it was destroyed. He said that the Yuon authority should not prevent this construction: “Since I was born, the pagoda was always there, my father said the same thing (during his time), and these are Khmer territories since ever.”
The fund for building the pagoda fence came from contributions from the villagers. The construction of the fence has been delayed until the border markers between the two countries can be agreed upon along this border zone. However, Cambodian villagers still want to build this fence, they claimed that the land belonged to the pagoda since ever.
Cambodia shares a 1,228-km-long border with Srok Yuon. The dispute along the border have taken place one location after another, however, the two countries plan to finish the installation of border markers before December 2008.
22 Oct 2008
By Zakaria
Radio Free Asia
Translated by Socheata
Click here to read the original article in Khmer
The Yuon border authority prevented the construction of a fence for a Cambodian pagoda located next to the Khmer-Yuon border, in Boeng Chrong pass, Choam commune, Memot District, Kampong Cham. The Yuon claimed that this area is a white zone (disputed zone, i.e. no man’s land).
Pim Khen, a member of the pagoda committee, told RFA on Wednesday 22 October that Wat Kirichey pagoda was built since very long ago, and the pagoda is located next the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. The pagoda occupies a more than one-hectare land with a fence in the front and the two sides, only the back of the pagoda is not fenced yet, so the pagoda committee decided to build this 100-meter long fence. However, the Yuon authority prevented it from happening.
Pim Khen said: “We planned to build the fence. This is not for building a border, we only want to build a fence to protect the vegetables grown by the monks, but now the Yuon told us to stop and not to do anything.”
He added that the Yuon prevention took place on 07 October when Sun, the Yuon deputy director of the border post, came to Cambodia and prevented the pagoda committee from continuing to build the fence.
Sim Ravy, the director of the Cambodian border post, said that after the Yuon border authority prevented the construction of the pagoda fence, he went to meet the Yuon side and he was told by the Yuon that the pagoda is located on the white zone, therefore both sides cannot build anything there, and the pagoda has to wait until the border committee install border markers first.
Sim Ravy: “This area, when we look at it, it looks like out lands, but the two governments (Hun Sen’s and the Yuon’s governments) concluded a convention that impose a wait until 2008 when the border makers will be installed.”
Prak Vanny, Choam commune chief, said that the construction of the fence was done according to the old pagoda fence which was made out of wood, and it was destroyed. He said that the Yuon authority should not prevent this construction: “Since I was born, the pagoda was always there, my father said the same thing (during his time), and these are Khmer territories since ever.”
The fund for building the pagoda fence came from contributions from the villagers. The construction of the fence has been delayed until the border markers between the two countries can be agreed upon along this border zone. However, Cambodian villagers still want to build this fence, they claimed that the land belonged to the pagoda since ever.
Cambodia shares a 1,228-km-long border with Srok Yuon. The dispute along the border have taken place one location after another, however, the two countries plan to finish the installation of border markers before December 2008.
