17 July 2007
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
Families of the people who have been arrested and jailed in Kompong Cham by the authorities which have accused them of robbing rubber from the Krek plantation in Kompong Cham province, complained that poverty forced the majority of the people living in the La’ak village to collect rubber waste which resulted from latex resin overflowing to the ground. The waste rubber must be cleaned several time before it can be sold, allowing these villagers to earn a meager living income.
The villagers said that the majority of them do not own farmland and has no other job besides collecting rubber waste which they consider as a very dangerous job.
Chu Chhun, 56-year-old, a villager in La’al, Krek commune, Ponhea Krek district, Kompong Cham province, told RFA that Soeun Phu, his 25-year-old daughter, was arrested and sent to jail by the police and the plantation guards since 15 June, she has not been released yet. He indicated that his daughter has two young children in her charge and that the children are spending time in jail with their mother, the youngest child has just reached one-year old, while the oldest child is only 4-year-old.
Chu Chhun said: “My daughter understood that the rubber belongs to the state, that’s why she decided to go to the police station. If it were to be a private plantation, she wouldn’t go. Each day, she collects about one to two kilograms of rubber and sells it for about 2,000 riels (US$ 0.50) to feed her children…”
Chu Chhun said that he recently went to meet an official in the Kompong Cham provincial court to beg him to release his daughter and grandchildren. However, the court official demanded him money in exchange for the release. He said that he did not remember the name of the official, but: “he asked me for $500.”
Soy Lan, a 48-year-old woman living in North Krek village, Krek commune, Ponhea Krek district, Kompong Cham province, told RFA that the authorities and the Krek plantation guards have arrested her 27-year-old widowed daughter who has two young children in her charge. The arrested woman’s young children have been separated from their mother since the arrest: “I am very poor, go see my house how difficult and pitiful my life is.”
Peang Noeun, a 65-year-old man, said that his 18-year-old son was arrested: “I went to beg them for his release, they demanded $500 at the court. I don’t know the court official’s name. When I arrived, they told me that there is no need for me to come back again, just give them $500 and he will be released. … They arrested him just like that and accused him of robbing rubber. This rubber is filled with black dirt, the state collect all the [good] rubber and this is just small amount of waste that people collect. On some days, we can collect four kilos of rubber, some days we can find these wastes … and also, they [the guards] demand 2 to 3,000 riels ($0.50 to 0.75) each day.”
Facing with the accusations by the villagers that the court demands $500 in exchange for the release [of each person arrested], Khut Sam At, the chief prosecutor of the Kompong Cham court, said: “If the court asked for payment, it is for bail payment for the damage incurred. In this type of cases, the court never demands anything.”
It should be noted that in June, the police authority of the province of Kompong Cham and the Krek plantation guards have arrested 8 persons: 4 men and 4 women, including two women who had young children who are currently staying in jail with their mother. On Friday 14 July, the police and the Krek plantation guards arrested 20 more people and had released underage children.
According to the villagers, families of those arrested adults must pay the Kompong Cham court officials between $400 to $500 for their release. However, no court officials dare talk about this bribe demands.
The villagers also claimed that those whose families have no money to pay, must remain incarcerated, and that, next week, the court will judge 8 persons arrested last June who have been accused of rubber robberies in the Krek plantation.
Nuon Samin, the police commissioner of Kompong Cham, said that the arrest was done as a warning and that the arrest was made without warrants because the arrests were made during the robbery action.
Nuon Samin added: “The rubber robberies are perpetrated by many thieves, they go to steal in big group. When the company cannot stand it any more after repeated robberies, they gave a warning once like that. This is not a generalized case.”
Som Chandina, the lawyer of 5 people arrested and who will be judged next week, said that the accusation of robberies is too serious of an accusation.
Som Chandina said: “People in that region, they went to collect only waste [rubber], they have to wash them 4 or 5 times before the small amount of rubber becomes white. They sell it for about 1,500 riels ($0.38) per kilo.”
Thak Lany, the MP from Kompong Cham, said that she met with the villagers and asked them to stop collecting [waste rubber] inside the Krek plantation which is a very dangerous job.
Villagers who have been interviewed on Sunday, asked NGO and government authorities to help them improve their living conditions so that they can have farming lands and jobs to survive.
The villagers complained that they are very poor, and there are not many NGO or government organizations which came over to provide them with some donations.
The villagers said that if they have jobs, they would not have to live like this. If they do not collect the small amount of rubber waste, they have nothing to eat.
The villagers said that the majority of them do not own farmland and has no other job besides collecting rubber waste which they consider as a very dangerous job.
Chu Chhun, 56-year-old, a villager in La’al, Krek commune, Ponhea Krek district, Kompong Cham province, told RFA that Soeun Phu, his 25-year-old daughter, was arrested and sent to jail by the police and the plantation guards since 15 June, she has not been released yet. He indicated that his daughter has two young children in her charge and that the children are spending time in jail with their mother, the youngest child has just reached one-year old, while the oldest child is only 4-year-old.
Chu Chhun said: “My daughter understood that the rubber belongs to the state, that’s why she decided to go to the police station. If it were to be a private plantation, she wouldn’t go. Each day, she collects about one to two kilograms of rubber and sells it for about 2,000 riels (US$ 0.50) to feed her children…”
Chu Chhun said that he recently went to meet an official in the Kompong Cham provincial court to beg him to release his daughter and grandchildren. However, the court official demanded him money in exchange for the release. He said that he did not remember the name of the official, but: “he asked me for $500.”
Soy Lan, a 48-year-old woman living in North Krek village, Krek commune, Ponhea Krek district, Kompong Cham province, told RFA that the authorities and the Krek plantation guards have arrested her 27-year-old widowed daughter who has two young children in her charge. The arrested woman’s young children have been separated from their mother since the arrest: “I am very poor, go see my house how difficult and pitiful my life is.”
Peang Noeun, a 65-year-old man, said that his 18-year-old son was arrested: “I went to beg them for his release, they demanded $500 at the court. I don’t know the court official’s name. When I arrived, they told me that there is no need for me to come back again, just give them $500 and he will be released. … They arrested him just like that and accused him of robbing rubber. This rubber is filled with black dirt, the state collect all the [good] rubber and this is just small amount of waste that people collect. On some days, we can collect four kilos of rubber, some days we can find these wastes … and also, they [the guards] demand 2 to 3,000 riels ($0.50 to 0.75) each day.”
Facing with the accusations by the villagers that the court demands $500 in exchange for the release [of each person arrested], Khut Sam At, the chief prosecutor of the Kompong Cham court, said: “If the court asked for payment, it is for bail payment for the damage incurred. In this type of cases, the court never demands anything.”
It should be noted that in June, the police authority of the province of Kompong Cham and the Krek plantation guards have arrested 8 persons: 4 men and 4 women, including two women who had young children who are currently staying in jail with their mother. On Friday 14 July, the police and the Krek plantation guards arrested 20 more people and had released underage children.
According to the villagers, families of those arrested adults must pay the Kompong Cham court officials between $400 to $500 for their release. However, no court officials dare talk about this bribe demands.
The villagers also claimed that those whose families have no money to pay, must remain incarcerated, and that, next week, the court will judge 8 persons arrested last June who have been accused of rubber robberies in the Krek plantation.
Nuon Samin, the police commissioner of Kompong Cham, said that the arrest was done as a warning and that the arrest was made without warrants because the arrests were made during the robbery action.
Nuon Samin added: “The rubber robberies are perpetrated by many thieves, they go to steal in big group. When the company cannot stand it any more after repeated robberies, they gave a warning once like that. This is not a generalized case.”
Som Chandina, the lawyer of 5 people arrested and who will be judged next week, said that the accusation of robberies is too serious of an accusation.
Som Chandina said: “People in that region, they went to collect only waste [rubber], they have to wash them 4 or 5 times before the small amount of rubber becomes white. They sell it for about 1,500 riels ($0.38) per kilo.”
Thak Lany, the MP from Kompong Cham, said that she met with the villagers and asked them to stop collecting [waste rubber] inside the Krek plantation which is a very dangerous job.
Villagers who have been interviewed on Sunday, asked NGO and government authorities to help them improve their living conditions so that they can have farming lands and jobs to survive.
The villagers complained that they are very poor, and there are not many NGO or government organizations which came over to provide them with some donations.
The villagers said that if they have jobs, they would not have to live like this. If they do not collect the small amount of rubber waste, they have nothing to eat.
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