Cambodia using child soldiers to fight the Siems?

Click on the photo to zoom in

The photo above was scanned from the 25 January 2010's edition of the Koh Santepheap Daily, a pro-CPP newspaper, by our reader V.H. (Thank you, Lok V.H.!).

The newspaper reported that on Sunday 24 January 2010, Hor 5 Hong and his wife paid a visit to soldiers at the Preah Vihear temple border zone, and the photo above came from that visit. It appears that Cambodia is now using child soldiers at a time when our Strongman is boasting about the strength of our forces.

Should you feel the urge to criticize somebody of not being patriotic enough to report such photo, we humbly suggest that you contact the pro-CPP Koh Santepheap Daily directly at the following email:

kohdaily@gmail.com

A tug-of war on rice paddies at the O'Chrov Khmer-Thai borders

The Thai delegation (black uniform) and the Khmer delegation (camouflage uniform) went to inspect the lands in dispute. (Koh Santepheap photo By Sovandara).

Koh Santepheap newspaper
27th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

A tug-of war between Cambodian farmers and Thai farmers regarding rice paddies long the Khmer-Thai borders at O'Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province had occurred firstly on 17th March 2009, when two Thai soldiers and a Thai farmer came to forbid Khmer farmers from toiling the lands they claimed to have cleared and owned since 1993.

On 20th March, a group of 15 Thai soldiers came again to stop Khmer farmers from ploughing the lands in Seila Khmer village, O'Bei Choan commune in O'chrov district of Banteay Meanchey by claiming that the areas belong to Thailand.

On the morning of 26th March 2009, the Cambodian and Thai side had met at the barrack of the Thai army at Palelai town in Sakeo province to resolve the issues.

The Cambodian delegation of 8 military and police officers was led by Col. Say Sovannareth, commander of the region. When the Cambodian delegation arrived, the Thai commander who was supposed to attend the meeting was absent and only his deputy was present. However, to show goodwill the Cambodian delegation agreed to attend the meeting.

The Thai side said that the reason they forbade Khmer farmers from toiling the fields was because they received complaints from four to five Thai families that the Khmer farmers were toiling in their rice paddies. The Thai side also said that the areas belong to Thailand.

But Col. Say Sovannareth told the Thai side that the Khmer farmers had farmed on the lands for more than 10 years and that not one Thai farmer had ever claimed that the lands belong to them. However, the Thai side insisted that the Cambodian military ask the Khmer farmers to suspend their works on the lands concerned.

According to Maj. Douk Savath, spokesman for the delegation, after the meeting both sides went to inspect the lands concerned. While inspecting the lands, the Thai commander pleaded with the Cambodian commander not to report the issue to the higher authority by saying that this issue should be resolved at the lower level.

According to Maj. Douk Savath, at the end of the inspection the Thai commander request for both sides to meet in the next 2-3 days to further discuss the issue.

But Maj. Douk Savath said that since 17th March 2009, Thai soldiers had always come to harrass Khmer farmers to stop them from toiling the fields. He said that on 20th March, 15 Thai soldiers came again and during the verbal exchanges, the Thai commander had looked down on him and had insulted him with derogatory and offensive language. But he said that he follows a policy of patience of the head of the government (PM Hun Sen), therefore he didn't respond, copped the insults and remained silence.

90 years old lady cares for a 60 years old disabled daughter

The 90 year-old Mrs. Ma Krem and her 60 year-old daughter, Soum Phan.

Koh Santepheap newspaper
13th March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

A 90 years old lady from Kampot is struggling to care for her 60 years old disabled daughter due to old age and poverty.

90 year-old Ma Krem, who is from Chress village, Kampong Trach district in Kampot province, said that she and her crippled daughter survived only on the generosity of their neighbours.

The 90 year-old lady said that her husband died in 1983 and all her children, except one, died during the Pol Pot time. She added that her surviving daughter, who is very poor, is struggling to raise her children, let alone helping to feed her and her crippled daughter.

She said that her daughter, Soum Phan, who is also blind and deaf, was crippled since birth. After giving birth to Soum Phan, neighbours told her to abandon the baby but she refused by vowing that she will care for Soum Phan until the end of her life.

She said that in 1979, when the Khmer Rouge forced them to walk through minefields up the Dangrek Mountains, she carried Soum Phan in a basket at one end of the pole while she carried her belongings at another end of the pole. But she refused to abandon her, whereas many parents at that time have abandoned their babies because they can’t take the babies with them.

Neighbours said that the 90 year-old lady and her 60 year-old crippled daughter are living in real hardship. She is surviving on the generosity of neighbours who took pity on her and her daughter.

Through Koh Santepheap, she is appealing to generous people, local and overseas, foreigners as well as Cambodians, to help her and her daughter through to the new year.

Koh Santepheap can be contacted at: kohsantepheap@citylink.com.kh, or at: kohdaily@gmail.com .

Thai soldiers arrested for illegally entering Cambodian territories at Choam Sra-Ngam

The four Thai soldiers who were arrested and detained for illegally entering Cambodia at Choam Sra-Ngam Checkpoint.

Koh Santepheap newspaper
2nd March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

At 8:30pm on 28th February, Khmer border police arrested four Thai soldiers for illegally entering Cambodia to go to a brothel at Choam Sra-Ngam Checkpoint near Anlong Veng but were released immediately. They were dressed in civilian clothes and were unarmed.

Locals said that the areas are infested with brothels and criminals. They said that the Thai always sneaked inside without any measures taken against them because there are too many authorities that are manning the borders Checkpoint and no one seems to care.

In a separate incident, on 27th February, one Thai soldier named Supharp Wong-prah, who ventured into Khmer territories at O', Thai spiesKro-Nhoung near Anlong Veng, was arrested carrying 69-type land-mines and a pistol. He would not give any answers during the interogation, but the Khmer iterrogators assumed that this soldier is probably a spy sent to search for intelligence about the Khmer military bases. According to Radio Free Asia, this Thai soldier had been arrested once before for crossing illegally into Khmer territories.

In another separate incident on 26th February, a group of Khmer soldiers met a lone Thai soldier named Sam Lerttumchan, age 32 (ID: UTM 8881), who can speak Khmer in Khmer territories near Anlong Veng. The Thai soldier told them that he is hungry asked for food. At the same time he asked where are Khmer military bases, how many Khmer soldiers are based in the area and whether there are any Vietnamese soldiers are in the area.

The Khmer soldiers suspected him to be a spy and immediately detained him, but at 5 o'clock in the afternoon he was released to return back to Thailand.

Heng Pov's accomplice who is Gen. Dul Koeun's bodyguard arrested for attempted murder of editor-in-chief of Koh Santepheap newspaper

Col. Pheng Phay in handcuff (top). Gen. Dul Keoun (R) and the late Gen. Hok Lundy (L) were arch-rivals (bottom).

Doeum Ampil News
22nd Feb, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Gen. Dul Koeun's bodyguard was arrested for attempted murder of Koh Santepheap's editor-in-chief more than 10 years ago.

Col. Pheng Phay, a police officer attached to the Ministry of Interior and a bodyguard of Gen. Dul Koeun, chief of Logistics and Finance of Ministry of Interior, was arrested by a group of military police on the morning of 21st February on Norodom Boulevard while returning from dropping off Gen. Dul Koeun at a golf club.

The Phnom Penh Court has issued an arrest warrant for Col. Phay Pheng since nearly two years ago. The police found Col. Phay Pheng after they received the arrest warrant but were scared to arrest him hecause he was a colonel working in the Ministry of Interior and because he was a bodyguard of Gen. Dul Koeun. But recently, the police received an order from the higher authority to arrest him.

Oknha Thong Uy Pang, editor-in-chief of The Koh Santepheap Daily, and one of his bodyguards were shot and wounded when attending a religious ceremony organised by his family at Wat Teuk Thla on the outskirt of Phnom Penh more than 10 years ago. During the shoot out, one of the attackers, presumed to be Heng Veng who is the brother of Gen. Heng Pov, was wounded but he has escaped arrest. Heng Veng was then put on a plane to get treatment in Vietnam. At that time, Heng Pov claimed that his brother was wounded during an operation to crackdown on drug-traffickers.

After Gen. Heng Pov, Commissioner of Phnom Penh Police, had a fall out with Prime Minister Hun Sen in 2006, he was accused of masterminding the assassination attempt on Oknha Thong Uy Pang. Gen. Heng Pov was extradited from Malaysia and arrested along with his alleged accomplice, Tram Vuthy alias Ly Rasy. Two other alleged accomplices, Heng Veng and Phay Pheng, remain at large until Phay Pheng was arrested on the morning of 21st February, 2009.

There are reports that, after the arrest of Phay Pheng, Gen. Dul Koeun has strongly intervened to secure his release but the court told him that it cannot release Col. Phay Pheng because they are afraid that they might have a problem with the "higher authority".

Doeum Ampil News was unable to contact Gen. Dul Koeun in relations to the above allegations and the arrest of Col. Phay Pheng.

It must be noted that Gen. Dul Koeun, like Gen. Heng Pov, was an arch-rival of the National Police Commissioner, the late Gen. Hok Lundy.

Thai doctors' capture of Khmers to drain blood causing panic among Khmers at Chaim Yeam Pass

Scene of Khmer people fleeing back to Cambodian side after news of Thai doctors capturing Khmers to drain their blood. (Photo: Khun Chang).

Koh Santepheap newspaper
18th February, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Koh Kong: There was panic among Khmers at Chaim Yeam Pass opposite Thailand's Hat Lik checkpoint at around 7:30 in the morning of the 17th February causing many Khmers to flee back into Khmer territories after some of the Khmer people were captured by Thai soldiers and let Thai doctors drain their blood without any reasons.

After the panic, Khmer border immigration officials and military officers went to inquire with the Thai officials. The Thai officials said that it is the work of Thai health officials from Trat province who forced the Khmers who crossed into Thailand to have blood tests to find out who got dengue fever. Whoever got dengue fever will receive free medicines from those health officials.

After panic among Khmer people, the Thai health officials have hurriedly closed down their makeshift office and returned to their base hospital.

Khmer officials said that this Thai action is an insult on the Khmer people because the Thai side did not inform the Khmer border officials of their planned actions. They said, in short, this sort of actions is like the actions of the pickpockets (thieves).

The Khmer officials said that this is the second time that the Thai authority at Chaim Yeam-Hat Lik Checkpoint took actions that are insulting to the Khmers. In 2008, the Thai authority brought sniffer dogs to sniff all Khmers who crossed into Thailand from toes to their heads by forcing them to sit down and raise their hands above their heads.

This second action of the Thai authority cannot be forgiven, they said.

A thousand year old burial site looted by powerful people

Monks and villagers are trying to prevent the military police from digging the ancient site.

Koh Santepheap newspaper
20th January, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Svay Rieng province: Toul Trapeang Ang (Royal Pond Hill) is a thousand year old ancient man-made hill located in Romeas Haek district in Svay Rieng province. Recently it has been reportedly looted by police and military police from Romeas Haek district in search of valuables buried thousand of years on that hill.

It has been reported that at 7 o’clock at night time on the 16th of January, 2009, four officials from Romeas Haek district, including the chief of Sambath Meanchey district and local police chief with four military police officers, went to Toul Trapeang Ang to dig out to search for valuables but they were prevented by the villagers from doing so.

It’s been reported that, on Saturday 17th January, 2009 the above officials went to see the village chief and the hill’s curator by telling them that they got a permission from the higher authority to dig out the valuables from the hill to take them to a national museum. When they cannot produce a permission document and the fact that the digging were taken place at night time, the curator got suspicious. But those officials told the village chief and the curator that the works have to be done at night time so that the works do not alarm and attract the attention of the villagers.

Due to the objection from the villagers, the permission was not granted. But those officials retorted that, whether the permission is granted or not, they will still dig out the valuables from the hill because Toul Trapeang Ang is a state property, it does not belong to the villagers here. The officials said that they have the authority to dig the hill because they got the agreement of the commune chief, the local police chief and the local military police officers have also agreed. So everyone is warned not to obstruct the works.

At around 9 o’clock that night, the group has started digging the hill, with armed military police standing guard. About 100 local villagers stay watching them through the night until 1 am in the morning. After they dug out the hill two by two metres wide and one and a half metres deep, the group stopped and started to negotiate with the villagers for them to leave the site, but the villagers refused and they postponed their digging.

Mr. Tey Yeth, a 65 year old villager, said that Toul Trapeang Ang is about 100 metres by 100 metres in size and it was overgrown by bushes. To the east of the hill, there is a man-made pond of 80 metres by 60 metres wide, with the depth of 4 metres.

In the past, the area was densely forested and in 1960 only 10 families have settled there. In 1970, the place became a village when more people settled there and the hill was used as a vegetable garden by a 78 year old Mr. Keo Chorn and a 68 year old Mrs. Yu Soth who now resided at a temple in Phnom Penh and the hill, which is his vegetable garden, was tendered by his children.

In 1980, there was a group of people who came to dig out this hill in the middle of the night. In the morning, the villagers found a freshly dug out pit 2 metres wide and 3 metres deep and a lot of ancient pottery, ancient bricks and urns containing ancient human remains scattered inside and outside of the pit.

According to villagers, this hill was a burial site and is more than a thousand years old. The site is believed to have contained sacred objects and ancient valuables such as idols, urns containing remains of ancient heroes etc.

The digging around the site has been postponed for the time being due to objection from the villagers. The officials who ordered the digging used the pretext that they dig at night because they don’t want to alarm the villagers. They said that they want to dig out valuables to keep them in the national museum because they are worried that the hill will be looted by villagers.

Mr. Prum Phary, deputy director of the Provincial Heritage Office, said that, due to complaints from the village chief and from the villagers, he was asked by the director of Provincial Cultural and Fine Arts Centre to go to the area to see for himself. He has intervened and has asked that the digging be stopped immediately. Furthermore, he has instructed the village chief and the villagers to protect this hill and must report to the authority immediately should any group try to dig this hill again. At this time, the Provincial Cultural and Fine Arts Centre is asking the authority to punish those culprits who were involved in the digging of this ancient hill.//

Thai Foreign Minister: Please do not incite a dispute, we acknowledge that Cambodia has been suffering for a long time

Mr. Kasit Piromya (Photo by Thai media).

Koh Santepheap newspaper

17th-18th January, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

According to a Thai website published on 16th January, 2009 Mr. Kasit Piromya has talked a lengths about the state of affairs of Thailand, including the Thai economy, Thai diplomacy and the border issues with Cambodia. The site reported that Mr. Kasit was trying to project a good image of Thailand, an image that has been suffering negative portrayals in recent times, to the international community.

Touching on the Preah Vihear border issues with Cambodia, Mr. Kasit said that Thailand and Cambodia had the same base of traditions for nearly two thousand years. These traditions are the factors that bind the two countries' ties together.

He said the Franco-Siam Treaty of 1904-1907, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding of 2000, are sufficient to use as a base for the solving of all outstanding border issues between the two countries.

He said that both governments have only supporting (technical) roles in the resolutions of the border issues between the two countries. He said that Cambodia and Thailand must educate their respective citizens not to twist the history, not to use their internal politics and untra-nationalism to incite border disputes. He said that (the Thai PM) Mr. Abhisit will not use these things to advance Thailand's border agenda with Cambodia.

Mr. Kasit said that Mr. Abhisit has requested the media, who had the role of bonding the ties between the two countries, not to generate any debates that can incite conflict between the two countries. Mr. Kasit said: "I understand that Cambodia has been suffering because of the genocide, so please do not make Cambodia suffer more. We should promote the civilsations of both countries on an equal level."

During the demonstartions at Suwanaphumi and Don Muang airpots, in December 2008, Mr. Kasit has been reportedly as declaring publicly that he will use Mr. Hun Sen's blood to clean his feet.//

The Siamisation of Cambodia and the Loss of Khmer National Identity

Picture: Welcome to Cambodia’s Poipet, a Thai town or a Khmer town? A town full of Khmer people but all signs are written in Thai. The only things absent are the Khmer alphabets and the Khmer currency.

Koh Santepheap newspaper
15th January, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization


Poipet - Banteay Meanchey Province: Near the gate of the Poipet International Checkpoint, signs in the front of all restaurants, casinos and shops are all written in foreign (Thai) language, without the Khmer language being written on them. And if there are any signs written in Khmer at all, they are just written in fine prints underneath the Thai alphabets.

This is not all. Furthermore, all financial transactions must be done in Thai Baht. From a meal in the restaurants, to a game of poker in the casinos and a night of stay in the local 5-star hotels, all monetary transactions must in Thai Baht.

Welcome to Poipet and the Siamisation of Cambodia. This is the reality of Cambodia today.

These trends have concerned many local officials. A Khmer senior military officer has told Koh Santepheap that he is very worried because these restaurants, shops and casinos are located inside Khmer territories. And he asks why there is a need to use Thai money at the expense of the Cambodian currency? The same military officer added that he cannot understand why all the signs in front of the shops, the hotels and the casinos are not written in the Khmer alphabets, but instead written in the Thai alphabets?

He added that, at a time when Cambodia has border disputes with Thailand, these practices could confuse unsuspecting international tourists who might think that the area is located on Thai soil. The officer added that this is a neglect of our Khmer culture, our national identity and our nation as a whole.

Mr. Keo Sen, Governor of O’Chrov district, said that under Cambodian laws, all signs in front of all shops, hotels and casinos that are located on Khmer soil must all be written in the Khmer alphabets. If there is a need to write the signs in foreign languages, they must be written under the Khmer alphabets and in fine prints. He added that what have been practised in Poipet now is illegal under Cambodian laws.

The governor of O’Chrov district said that he was aware of all these practices and the local authority has informed all the businesses and companies to make them aware of the Cambodian laws, but it seems that they did not heed the request of the local authority. Now he has passed this issue to the chief of the Poipet International Checkpoint to ask him to help tackle the problems so that people are not confused that this area belongs to Thailand.//

Cambodia lodged a diplomatic protest with Thailand over the Jupiter Cruise incident

Mr. Tharit Charungrat, spokesman for the Thai Foreign Ministry.

Koh Santepheap newspaper
9th January, 2009
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

Cambodia has on the 8th of January summoned the Thai ambassador to protest over the Thai denial of entry to Thailand of 269 Cambodian passengers on board the Jupiter Cruise ship who are holders of diplomatic passports and Thai visas.

The Cambodia Daily newspaper reported by quoting Mr. Soth Sophin, chairman of the Lam and Bothers company who organised the Jupiter Cruise to Thailand as saying that the Jupiter Cruise ship left Cambodia’s Kompong Som seaport for the Thai seaports of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket with more than 400 passengers. He added that the Thai authority barred about 269 Cambodian passengers with proper Thai visas from disembarking but allowed all the Chinese and Vietnamese passengers to disembark.

The Cambodia Daily reported that “The majority of the passengers carried Thai visas, but still the Thai authority did not allow them to enter their country (Thailand).”

Mr. Benson Samay, attorney for the Jupiter Cruise, said that most of the passengers who joined the launch of the first leg of the Jupiter Cruise are very angry with the Thai authority for not allowing them entry to Thailand.

He said: “The launch of the cruise has turned into a disaster.” Mr. Benson Samay added that the passengers include senators, military generals, judges and senior government officials who hold diplomatic passports. He added that he believe that the Thai denial of entry for the Cambodian passengers into Thailand was linked to the Preah Vihear disputes.

Mr. Tharit Charungrat, head of information and spokesman for the Thai Foreign Ministry said through an email that his ministry was unaware of the incident which took place on 25th of December, 2008. He wrote in his email: “ The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs was unaware of the incident which took place on the 25th of December, 2008 or any discriminations by the Thai authority on the Cambodian people.” He added that it seemed that such incident did not happen.

Mr. Tharungrat’s email continued: “As a principle, the Thai immigration authority will facilitate the entry to Thailand without any discriminations against any nationality if they (tourists) have proper visas. Thailand consider Cambodia as our neighbour among other neighbours, so in a normal circumstance there is no reason for us to bar them from entering Thailand.”

Despite his defence of the actions of the Thai authority, Mr. Tharungrat said “However, the Thai authority will launch an investigation if there is a detailed diplomatic protest (from Cambodia).”

On 8th of January, the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Thai ambassador to lodge a diplomatic protest over the incident.

Mr. Ung Sean, Secretary of State of Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Thai ambassador that Cambodia is not happy, is regrettable and cannot accept this incident and has demanded that the Thai authority investigate this incident thoroughly. The Thai ambassador did not provide prompt answers by just saying that they will make inquiry with the Thai government first before providing any answers.

Mr. Long Visalo, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The Cambodia Daily that his department has investigated and found out that the Thai authority indeed banned the 257 Cambodian passengers who hold Thai visas from entering Thailand. He added that the reasons that the Thai authority banned the Cambodian passengers from entering into their country was because they are afraid that the Cambodians will pose security concerns to their country. He added that the Thai authority demanded the passengers to pay $1500 for the permission to enter Thai territories and this bond money can only be withdrawn after 3 months. So all the passengers refused to pay the bond money and decided to return home to Cambodia.

Mr. Long Visalo added that Cambodia has lodged a complaint regarding Thailand’s violation of the Memorandum of Understanding on a visa agreement between the two countries which stated that diplomatic and official passport holders must be exempted from carrying a visa. Furthermore, under international laws if the embassy of the country had already provided the visas to the tourists, those tourists must be allowed to enter that country without obstacle.

According to Mr. Long Visalo, there are more than 10 senior government officials travelling on board the Jupiter Cruise ship, but until now no one among the more than 10 officials has lodged a complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yet.//

Two suspects arrested for planting bombs to disrupt the celebration 7th January Day

Mr. Khieu Kanharith at the press conference. (Koh Santepheap photo by Chantha).

Koh Santepheap newspaper
5th January, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

Mr. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information, said at a press conference on 4th January that police have arrested two people in connections with the planting of bombs on 2nd January, but refused to elaborate by saying only that the matter is still further investigated by the police.

Mr. Kanharith said that the plantings of the bombs were aimed at discouraging the people from attending the celebration of 7th January Day.

Critics said that the plantings of the bombs were not the works of opposition parties but were organised by the government to use as a pretext to arrest people who oppose the 7th January Day. Mr. Kanharith denied the allegations by saying that those who planted the bombs are people who are against peace. They are terrorists, he said.

On 2nd January, two bombs were found near the Ministry of Defence and TV3 station.

The Appointment and the Promotions of National Police Commissioner

Minister Sar Kheng (L) and Gen. Neth Savoeun (R), during the ceremony. (Photo by Bunnak).

Koh Santepheap newspaper
22nd-23rd November, 2008
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization

Phnom Penh - On the 21st of November, at the Ministry of Interior, Minister of Interior Sar Kheng presided over the transferring of duties, the appointments and promotions ceremony of Gen. Neth Savoeun to become the National Police Commissioner.

The ceremony was organised in accordance with the royal decree for the appointment of Gen. Neth Savoeun as national Police Commissioner and for his promotion from a lieutenant general to a 4-star general in replacement of Gen. Hok Lundy who died in a helicopter crash on 9th of November.

The ceremony also announced the appointments of Lt-Gen. Chan Ean as the Deputy National Police Commissioner and Maj-Gen. Kang Sokhon, Police Commissioner of Battambang, as the Assistant Police Commissioner. Brig-Gen. Sar Thet, Deputy Chief of the Directorate of Economic Police, was appointed as the Police Commissioner of Battambang in place of Gen. Kang Sokhon. Other than these appointments, more than ten other police officers were also promoted.

During the ceremony, Gen. Neth Savoeun has made a commitment speech on behalf of the police force that he shall continue to fulfil his duties to serve the government better. After Gen. Neth Savoeun’s speech, Minister Sar Kheng made a speech in which he reminds the National Police Commissioner to make efforts to improve the police force in order to serve the country successfully.//

When the chief of the gov't resorted to use threats, gov't officials under him also adopt the same attitude

20/12/2007

Cambodian journalist receives death threats from government official

Cambodia has a track record in this regard

A journalist working for Koh Santepheap newspaper, Try Vantha, 46, has been threatened by a senior official of the social affairs department in Preah Vihear province of Cambodia. On 13 November 2007, Try was in a restaurant where the official, Kim Thany, was also present. While inside, Kim warned Try to refrain from writing reports about him otherwise he would be killed. Kim was angry over Try''s news report published in his newspaper in April 2007 exposing neglect in his work which results in long delays in the payment of pensions and allowances for disabled soldiers and their widows.

In April this year, Try Vantha, a disabled veteran and journalist working for Koh Santepheap newspaper wrote an article exposing Kim Thany's incompetence and neglect. Kim, director of the Social Affairs Department in the province, and his companions were said to be responsible for the long delays in payment of pensions to disabled soldiers and allowances to the widows of soldiers.

Try reported that because of Kim incompetence the pensioners have had to wait up to a year before receiving their supposedly monthly pensions or allowances. Try's report had reportedly angered Kim.

In the afternoon of November 13, Try happened to be in Tong Heng restaurant in Phearakech village, Palhal commune, where Kim was also present. At 5:40p.m., in the middle of the restaurant's crowd, Kim, who was seating next to a table where Try was seated, stood up and pointed his finger to him. Kim then ridiculed Try by calling him in a derogatory title for a person of inferior status.

Kim angrily threatened Try not to write anything more about him again or he would hire his military friend to kill him. Kim was heard telling Try as: 'If you write about me again, I'll spend USD 10,000 to get my friend, deputy Army Commander in Preah Vihear province, to kill you.' Kim further ridiculed him saying: 'The status of you [Try], journalist, cannot equal mine, [I am the] Director of the Social Affairs Department.'

When Kim was later asked about the threat he had made on Try, he denied it. He instead claimed that Try was drunk at the time of incident and that he could charge him with anything. In an apparent show off of arrogance, Kim added he and Try were not equal 'in weight' so he would not bother responding to Try's accusations.

Try had kept the threat to himself for several weeks before informing the editor of his newspaper about it. He had already filed a criminal complaint against Kim for attempted murder. In Cambodia, once a person made threats to another, they can be charged for attempted murder, unlike in other countries where they would be charged either for threats or grave threats. The Cambodian law does not define 'threat' as a criminal offense.

Other Incidents of same nature

There have been incidents of threats, targeted attacks and violence against journalists in Cambodia, in particular those involved in reporting or exposing corrupt and illegal practices by government officials and the security forces.

On November 27, a female journalist, Ms. Som Sithavry, was interviewing a military police commander in Sandan district in Kampong Thom province regarding a brawl involving two military police officers. While she was interviewing, a military police captain cut in and threatened her saying: 'Do the job properly, otherwise I will break your legs'.

On August 10, the house of journalist Phon Phat (41) was also torched in Ba Kan district, Posat. The torching happened days after he received two threatening telephone calls from numbers registered to members of security forces. He was threatened after he reported illegal logging activities to the forestry administration and for writing stories about it to his newspaper.

On August 4, another journalist, Mr. Heng Veasna, was also assaulted by a military police officer in Toul Kroh village, Posat province. Heng was on the way back home after collecting information on two illegal shooting cases by a military police officer and a chief prosecutor when he was assaulted.

On May 2, journalist Chim Chenda working for Kampuchea Thmei (New Cambodia) also received a death threat from an army general. General Pol Synoun, chief deputy for the international relations office of Cambodia-Thailand border affair, pointed his pistol at Chim whom he had forced to kneel down to and apologize for calling him 'Brother Noun'. Chim denied he had uttered such word to the general.