The cost of a Cambodian life to the Siam is: $927 (30,000 baths)

Thailand recognizes its mistake in the shooting and killing of a Cambodian citizen

29 June 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

An Saray, chairman of the Cambodia-Thailand liaison in Phnom Dey pass, located in Sampov Loun district, Battambang province, told Koh Santepheap in the morning of 28 June that Thailand recognized its mistake in the shooting on Cambodian civilians that caused the death of one man last week. He indicated that Thailand paid 30,000 baths ($927) in compensation to the family of the victim after it sent back the victim’s body to Cambodia on 24 June. One Cambodian citizen among a group of 4 men is suspected of being shot and killed by Thai black-clad soldiers when they went to Thailand to smuggle motorcycles back to Cambodia. The victim, 44-year-old Dim Doeur, lived in Trapaing Prolit village, Santepheap commune, Sampov Loun district, Battambang province. The other 3 men escaped safely back to Cambodia. An Saray said that even though these Cambodian men crossed the border illegally, Thailand still shouldn’t use weapons to shoot and kill them like this because it is contrary to the agreement concluded between the two countries whereby no shooting or torture should be inflicted on people illegally crossing the border.

Thai troops shot 4 Cambodian men and killed one

24 June 2010
By Suon Sophalmony
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Thai black-clad soldiers shot on 4 Cambodian men, killing one of them in the evening of 23 June, when the men were returning back home from work in Thailand and they were looking for snails in the forest to eat.

The shooting took place in Teak San village in Klonghat district, Sakaew province, Thailand, about 200-meter from the river delimiting the border, next to the Kaun Phnom pass, in front of Trapaing Prolit village, Santepheap commune, Sampov Loun district, Battambang province in Cambodia.

37-year-old Ek Ra who lives in Trapaing Prolit village indicated on Thursday morning: “I returned back from work in Thailand … On our return, I walked with 4 people, then we collected snails in the forest to cook and eat. After we collected a small bagful, about one kilogram, then we continued walking when the Thai soldiers yelled at us to stop and to sit down. The fellow who walked in the front was about to sit down, I did not sit down yet when they shot us, then I ran! I thought we could all escape, but the victim – Dim Doeur – was shot twice: once on his right calf and the other on his right shoulder.”

Another man who was also shot by the Thai black-clad soldiers added: “We were collecting snails to cook. We only left the road by a little bit, and we came out of the stream when we met them! I was in front, they ordered us to sit down. I sat down, when I was on the right hand side, they shot the fellows in the back, so I ran! When we ran, they pursued us and they shot me twice but they missed me.”

44-year-old Dim Doeur was shot and killed by the Thai black-clad soldiers, the other 3 men – 37-year-old Ek Ra, 23-year-old Phon Ravuthea and 39-year-old Yav Yong – escaped death. They all live in Trapaing Prolit village, Santepheap commune, Sampov Loun district, Battambang province.

The Thai side and the group of Thai black-clad soldiers who are accused of the shooting above could not be reached.

An Saray, the Cambodian border liaison official in the region, indicated that the Cambodian authority intervened with the Thai side regarding this shooting, but all that the Thai side did was to express their regret only.

An Saray indicated that Cambodia will complain to the Thai side and will demand that the shooting culprit be apprehended and brought to face justice according to the law: “On my end, I am telling the victim’s family to prepare a complaint to send to me so I can send to the border liaison office to complain to the Thai side about this shooting and killing.”

Yin Meng Ly, an official of the Adhoc human rights organization, condemned the shooting by Thai troops on Khmer villagers: “This is a very inhumane action that should stop! Even if the Cambodian villagers went there illegally to do something there, they should not be shot at and killed!”

Yin Meng Ly asked the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Cambodian government to intervene with Thailand to bring to justice the Thai black-clad soldiers involved.

Koy Kuong, MoFA spokesman, could not be reached regarding this shooting case.

The body of 44-year-old Dim Doeur was delivered to his family in Trapaing Prolit villagers for his final rite, after the Sa Kaew hospital was not able to save his life.

Thai soldiers shooting to provoke Khmer soldiers in Battambang?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Kampuchea Thmei reported that sound of several gunshots were heard in front of the Sen Chao border gate, located in Samlot village, Samlot commune, Samlot district, Battambang province. The shootings where done by Thai black-clad soldiers from Thai army unit 515, in the morning of 28 July, at 08:20 AM. The report indicated that about 50 fully armed Thai black-clad soldiers came to the Sen Chao border gate and started shooting 9 bullets with their M-16 rifles. Thai soldiers were all ready for a fight, but Cambodian soldiers posted there did not return the fire, they were all standing at their positions. The shootings by Thai black-clad soldiers are taking place while Cambodia was busy providing security for the election. Lieutenant-Colonel Um Dara, chief of the Cambodian military police in Battambang province, said that the shootings by the Thai soldiers were aimed at provoking a return of fire by Cambodian soldiers, then the Thai troop can use this as an excuse to blame Cambodia, however, Cambodia does not fall prey to this trick.

SRP MPs condemn the shooting of Cambodians by Thailand

Click on the SRP MPs statement to zoom in

Monday, July 07, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The shooting and killing of 2 Cambodians by Black-clad Thai soldiers on 03 July 2008 led to the issuing of a condemnation statement by opposition SRP MPs on 06 July. The SRP MPs severely condemned this shooting, they demanded that Thailand respect the lives of Cambodian people, and that it stopped this type of shooting of Cambodians like animals. The SRP statement also demanded that the Thai authority arrest the culprits and bring them to justice, otherwise this situation could lead to a national dispute between the two countries. SRP MPs also demanded that the Thai government properly investigate the shooting and killing of Cambodians, and that it stopped the savage killing of Cambodians. SRP MPs called on the Cambodian government to file an immediate official complaint to the Thai government in order to fulfill its proper role as the defender of Cambodian people.

Thai border harrassment intensifies: Thai soldiers cross the disputed zone at will to destroy Cambodian properties

Cambodian border defense guards had a verbal dispute with Thai soldiers

17 May 1008
By Sav Yuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Cambodian border defense guards in Choam Sa-ngam, Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, claimed that they had a tense verbal dispute with Thai soldiers in the morning of Friday 16 May when a group of black-clad Thai soldiers from Sisaket province insisted on destroying a (Cambodian border) post located about 100-meter from a border dispute zone.

Lieutenant-colonel Toch Ra, vice-chairman of the Cambodian-Thailand border relationship workgroup, said that a group of about 10 armed Thai black-clad soldiers belonging to Thai army unit 2307 came to dismantle houses belonging to Cambodian villagers in the region of Chhker Eut in the evening of 16 May and then they continued on to try to dismantle a border post there also in the morning of Friday, but the tense opposition displayed by Cambodian border guards forced these Thai soldiers to pull back.

Lieutenant-Colonel Toch Ra indicated: “Thailand sent in their forces to conduct their activities on the other side of the road (inside Cambodia?), they hid themselves from us, they camped in the forest. Today, we are blocking them since morning until now.”

An anonymous police official from the Choam Sa-gam international border gate indicated that the armed Thai black-clad soldiers cam in to destroy houses belonging to Cambodian villagers living near the border, in a region where these villagers had lived for a long time already: “The (Thai) black-clad soldiers came to destroy our villagers’ houses who lived along the borderline, Cambodian people had always lived there.”

Nevertheless, the Thai black-clad army cannot be reached to clarify about this issue. Similarly, the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh cannot be reached either.

Var Kim Hong, chairman of the Cambodian border dispute resolution committee, said in the afternoon of Friday that he did not receive this information yet, and if indeed this situation did occur, he would be very surprised, however, he believes that the Thai soldiers cannot encroach the border (inside Cambodia) to install a new border post yet because there is not agreement for the installation of new Cambodian post at the border gate along National Road No. 67.

Var Kim Hong said: “Nowadays, for us, we preserved the old international border gate at Choam Sa-ngam because Thailand does not agree with Cambodia’s (plan) to install it at a new location along National Road No. 67 which Samdach prime minister already inaugurated to go for use, so we agree not to open the international border gate along National Road 67 already inaugurated by the prime minister.”

Var Kim Hong added that regarding the borderline between Cambodian and Thailand in Choam Sa-ngam, even though the Cambodian-Thai border committee did not visit the location to determine it clearly yet, this committee used to agree with each other to allow a joint technical group from the two countries to delineate the border between the two countries already, and both sides of this joint committee had agreed to this borderline, but that Thailand still refuses to accept it, saying that this borderline has some missing spots and the joint committee must return to delineate it one more time.

Disputes along the Choam Sa-ngam border gate are always recurring starting from September 2007 when the Thai black-clad soldiers came in to prevent the demining work performed by the Halo Trust organization. In 2006, Thai soldiers brought in a steel building (AUSCO) and installed it inside the Cambodian borderline.

Another cheap Khmer life; Thai embassy denying the Thai soldiers' savage killing of a Khmer citizen?

Family of a Cambodian victim of Thai soldiers shooting demands compensation

15 December 2007
By Sav Yuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

Relatives of a victim who were shot and killed by Thai black-clad soldiers recently, along the Dangrek Mountain chain, Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, called on Cambodian government officials to help them demand monetary compensations amounting to several tens of thousands of baths for the lost of the life of their loved one and demand that Thailand guarantees the livelihood of 7 orphans who lost their father.

On Saturday 15 December, 38-year-old Ya Hoeun said that her husband was shot and killed by Thai black-clad soldiers, and that she is currently asking Cambodian officials at the border relation working group to prepare documents to negotiate and demand monetary compensations. The amount of compensation demanded has not been determined as of yet, however, Mrs. Ya Hoeun indicated that this amount could be 100,000 Thai baths, or about 10 million riels (~$2,500). “I want them (Thailand) to pay compensation regarding my husband, this could be 100,000 baths because this is so unfair,” Ya Hoeun said.

Nevertheless, the demand for compensation from the Thai soldiers remains hopeless as the Cambodian authority did not even take any measure at all in this affair.

Pech Sokhin, the Oddar Meanchye provincial governor, said on Saturday morning that provincial officials received the report of the shooting and killing already, but the provincial administration did not take any measure yet: “Not yet, we don’t know, we are researching for the cause.”

Khoeung Phea, the commander of the 403 unit protecting the border at the location of the incident, said that, up to now, he did not call the Thai side to come and negotiate about this issue yet, he only reported the incident to the regional commander and he is still awaiting a decision from this commander on what to do: “My chief went to Phnom Penh, when he will return back, he will have a plan to meet with the Thai side to resolve this incident.”

Surasak Supharat, an advisor of the Thai embassy in Cambodia, said that regarding this demand for compensation, according to the law, there must be an investigation first to see whether the Thai soldier really shot and killed a Cambodian citizen or not.

Cambodian border police officials and Khet Khen, an injured witness, claimed in the afternoon of 12 December 2007 that Thai black-clad soldiers based in Husing district, Sisaket province, Thailand, opened fire on 6 Cambodian citizens who went into a forest near the border to collect liana vines and rattan near O’Da river, about 15 kilometers to the north of the Choam Sro-ngam international border gate. The shooting led to the death of Yim Phat who was killed on the spot and Khet Khen was injured. A tractor was also burnt down by the Thai soldiers.

Thai soldier shot and killed one Cambodian citizen, wounded another along the border

Friday, December 14, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Black-clad Thai border guards in Thai Sisaket province bordering Cambodia Oddar Meanchey province opened fire on 6 Cambodian citizens who were collecting lianas, rattans, and woods in a border zone where the borderline is not well defined yet, near Chroak village, Trapeang Prey commune, Anlong Veng district, Oddar meanchey province. The shooting killed one Cambodian and injured another. The Rasmei Kampuchea reported that the border guard police indicated that the firing by the Thai black-clad soldiers took place at 03:00 PM on 12 December. The Cambodian police indicated that the name of the Cambodian citizen killed in the shooting is 30-year-old Yim Phat, and the man injured during in the shooting also is 23-year-old Khem Sokhen. The other 4 villagers fled safely from the shooting. On 14 December, the Cambodian side will meet its Thai counterpart to demand an explanation for this violent attack perpetrated on Cambodian citizens.

Thai soldiers shot and killed one Cambodian, injured 2

07 October 2007
By Lim Pisidh
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

According to people living in Svay Chek district, and Oddar Meanchey provincial police, at least one Cambodian citizen was killed and two were seriously injured after they were shot by the Thai black-clad soldiers in Thailand.

A source indicated that the shooting took place at 11:00 PM on 03 October, when a group of 7 Cambodian tried to cross the border illegally into Thailand’s Sakeaw province, in order to smuggle cars back to sell in Cambodia.

The anonymous source said: “They took people to buy cars from Thailand, when they were about 200-meter (from the Cambodian border?), the Thai soldiers … were waiting to shoot them.”

The same source indicated that after the shooting by the Thai border soldiers based in that area, the group of 6 Cambodians, including two who were injured, started to run in every direction to return back to Cambodia. They left behind the body of 48-year-old Kom, the dead man. “Yes, we lost him (Kom), it’s already this late and the body cannot be found yet,” the source said.

Chan Kosal, the deputy commissioner of Banteay Meanchey province, said that the shooting took place inside Thailand, about 3-kilometer from the border. He added that the illegal border crossing into Thailand by Cambodian people, is usually done along corridors, located between the Chamcar Kor gate in Svay Chek district, and the O’Bey Choan gate in O’Chrov district.

Chan Kosal said: “We called in Chum Chhat and Duch Rin in for questioning. According to the information provided by the culprits who are also victims, based on all the information, they said that (one of the smugglers) was shot and killed.”

According to Cambodian police, the majority of the 7 Cambodians who illegally crossed into Thailand, live in Domnak Ko-koh village, Svay Chek commune, Svay Chek district. The 7 are: 31-year-old Chum Chhat, 42-year-old Duch Rin, 31-year-old Dos, 28-year-old Loeung, 31-year-old Kom who shot and killed by the Thai soldiers, and 36-year-old Choeuy from Kok Prech village, Kok Romiest commune, Thmar Puok district.

Currently, the police is investigation the case, and is cooperating in order to find the body of the Cambodian citizen who was shot and killed.