16 November 2008By Zackaria
Radio Free AsiaTranslated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in KhmerWhile Cambodian border troops along the province of Koh Kong and along Battambang’s Samlot district appeal for additional food supply, government officials and CPP MPs said that, in general, the budget to support the army is short, however, the government plans to increase the military budget, but this will not happen until 2009.
Khieu Kanharith, minister of Information and government spokesman, indicated that the government is preparing shelters for mobile army units along the border, as well as providing with additional equipments. “The salary for our soldiers is not enough for them. When there was full peace, it was not an issue, we focused on building villages for disabled soldiers, but with the current situation, maybe everybody already forgot that Lok Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen went to built the shelters on deserted islands and all the way to the Thai border, we built many of these shelters already,” Khieu Kanharith said.
Cheam Yieb, CPP MP and chairman of the National Assembly economy, finance, banking and auditing committee, said that the economy in Cambodia is still limited, therefore budget for soldiers is still short. He indicated that the government is already thinking about this problem. “It's unavoidable for a poor country like ours, we just get out of war, our economy barely makes it, so we can’t avoid the shortage. That’s why in the past, soldiers take their wife and children with them to the front, this is regrettable,” Cheam Yieb said.
Cheam Yieb added: “The planned budget for national disasters, for security and order protection for our society, we approved about $300 million for Samdach (Hun Sen) to prepare for emergency, then he can spend this budget.”
SRP MP Son Chhay said that the budget for soldiers for 2008 is sufficient, however, it was not properly spent: “… they (soldiers) don’t have the courage to go to war to defend our lands when their chiefs are full of money and nice cars, but for the soldiers, they don’t even have enough rice to feed their family. How can you expect them to go to war for their chiefs?”
Nevertheless, soldiers patrolling along the provinces of Koh Kong and Battambang still appeal for food to be provided to soldiers along the frontline.
A soldier from border unit 502 who refused to provide his name, and stationed at the Khmer-Thai border near Sen Chao area, Bor Turen and Ta Ngol Mountains, Samlot district, Battambang province, said that, up to now, soldiers still face food and equipment shortage. “Each month, we receive 65,000 to 67,000 riels ($16.25 to $16.75), this (salary?) includes all the food stipend. We appeal to the Royal Government to resolve this problem also, and most importantly, those who lead the government should think hard about it. Furthermore, we ask that the government thinks about food stipend, and helps provide some food each month, for example: decent amount of packaged noodle, sardines, other food or 4-10 cans of condensed milk. With us being at the top of the mountain, we can’t go anywhere to find food.”
Another soldier who also refused to provide his name, and stationed on the frontline in Koh Kong Mountain, also known as 100 Mountains in Koh Kong province, said the same thing as his colleague from Battambang. Because of food shortage, soldiers in Koh Kong protested and demanded that they can take turn between staying at the border and returning to their base. But, the soldier appealed to the government to help provide more food to all the soldiers, in particular, those soldiers who are patrolling along the frontline who cannot afford to go look for food by themselves.
The soldier from Koh kong said: “They gave us one kilo of salted fish, as for condiments, there is only green onion, oil, MSG and sugar only. This is not enough for us to eat, we must buy additional food by ourselves. Even with food problem, they cut our (salary?) money to 45,000 riels ($11.25) a month, and they gave us about 20 kilos of rice.”
RFA could not reach the army commander in Koh Kong province to provide clarifications on this issue yet. However, Bun Seng, the commander of army Unit 5 in Battambang province, said that frontline soldiers stationed in Samlot province do not face shortage.
General Srey Doeuk, Commander of the intervention army Unit 12 stationed in Preah Vihear temple, said that Cambodian soldiers along the border do not face shortage.
Cambodian and Thai troops along the border have confronted each other in Preah Vihear temple area. This armed confrontation started after UNESCO decided to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site.
Besides government supply, Cambodian soldiers also receive donations from local and overseas Cambodians for their expense and food.
Nevertheless, RFA could not obtain any clarifications from General Neang Phat, the high ranking official from the ministry of Defense, because he was busy in a meeting. But, he used to provide RFA with about the same answer as what Khieu Kanharith said above, while recognizing that salary for Cambodian soldiers is limited and that there are currently about 100,000 Cambodian soldiers.
Nevertheless, for the 2009 national budget, the government plans to double the military budget, this will amount to $500 million.
