Original report from Phnom Penh
22 February 2010
Foreign Ministry officials say they will protest the sentencing of six Cambodians to two years in jail by a Thai court on Monday.
The defendants, four men and two women, were caught collecting rattan on the wrong side of the border earlier this year.
On Friday, a court in Thailand’s Surin province found them guilty of illegal entry and illegal logging.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Monday that neither a lawyer nor the Cambodian consul for Surin province was present at the sentencing, in what he called an “irregular” procedure.
“We must take opposition against the verdict,” he said.
The verdict comes after a Cambodian court sentenced a Thai man to 20 years in prison earlier this month, for attempting to lay landmines along the border.
Cambodia and Thailand are engaged in a protracted border standoff and an ongoing diplomatic row.
In 2009, the Thai provincial courts of Sisaket and Ubon sentenced at least 27 Cambodians from 15 months to 9 years in jail for illegal entry and logging in Thai territory.
In the same year, Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey provincial court sentenced one Thai to three months for illegal entry into Cambodia, although border guards arrested and released another 42 Thais for alleged illegal entry.
The defendants, four men and two women, were caught collecting rattan on the wrong side of the border earlier this year.
On Friday, a court in Thailand’s Surin province found them guilty of illegal entry and illegal logging.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said Monday that neither a lawyer nor the Cambodian consul for Surin province was present at the sentencing, in what he called an “irregular” procedure.
“We must take opposition against the verdict,” he said.
The verdict comes after a Cambodian court sentenced a Thai man to 20 years in prison earlier this month, for attempting to lay landmines along the border.
Cambodia and Thailand are engaged in a protracted border standoff and an ongoing diplomatic row.
In 2009, the Thai provincial courts of Sisaket and Ubon sentenced at least 27 Cambodians from 15 months to 9 years in jail for illegal entry and logging in Thai territory.
In the same year, Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey provincial court sentenced one Thai to three months for illegal entry into Cambodia, although border guards arrested and released another 42 Thais for alleged illegal entry.
Hun and siam play game====> Reast Khmer suffer. Hun and yuon play game===> Reast Khmer suffer. Are we proud to be Khmer??? Honestly I'm Khmer but don't know the answer and don't know how to explain to other nation who ask me question. If you know the answer could you lead and explain, why we are proud and why are not?
ReplyDeleteIt is unfair and unjust for the Thai Surin to accuse our beloved Cambodians for illegal logging. This is a pure politic between Thai and Khmer. By using innocent people for their scapegoat is just inhumane.
ReplyDeletethe answer is why not? it's called love for your country, love for your roots, your origin, your language, khmer food, khmer country, etc, etc... those who ask you why is probably being pretentious and or perhaps doesn't understand themselves well. because it is also a self-explanatory answer. for me, i'm khmer and loved everything about cambodia e.g. the beautiful khmer land, the beautiful sceneries, the beautiful, exotic, rich culture, tradition, custom, etiquette, and the beautiful khmer language, architecture, and so on and so forth. that's why i'm proud of my khmer origin. on the other hand, i think some aspect of cambodia i don't like is probably the politics aspects of it. however, if our leader is smart, clever and highly educated to understand the world, the country and have a great vision and national interest, etc., then, i don't have any critics for that leader. only the one seem to fight endlessl for power is the one i don't like! would be interested to hear what others think of this as well. by the way, good question for you to ask this. god bless.
ReplyDeleteI'm proud to be Khmer! Seriously! It means a lot to me. Lets put the politics aside. We have come a loooong way! We have been through hell. God knows how many civil wars did our country encounter? Don't really know much about Khmer history. However, I know for the fact, that we should embrace and celebrate who we are. Again, we HAVE COME A LONG WAY! and we are half way to be caught up with other countries, like Thai, etc.. To me, that is a big accomplishment! And we should be very proud of that! In terms of our leaders, I'm not really proud of! I don't like how they govern the country. For example, how to get rid of the corruptions and so fourth. God Bless
ReplyDeleteproud to be khmer because we are an old country, having survived the stone age, the dark age, and now still a member of the world community and so forth. i'm proud to be khmer. god bless cambodia and our beautiful khmer people and citizens.
ReplyDeletekhmer is a part of the world community. we are proud of our race because too we are a part of the world history, the world great civilization. we have our own language, our own nation, etc... we have a complete character of a nation call cambodia as the world known it. we are proud to call ourselves khmer. it's a good feeling to be khmer on this planet. the same way other people are proud of their race as well. so, khmer have the same feeling about our khmer origin, you know! if i ask you back what or why you're proud be whoever your race is, then my answer is similar. in khmer we say, everyone has the same feeling about themselves, their possession, their origin, etc... so, we just ask others to treat us fairly and unbias, that's all!
ReplyDeletewe are a hopeful nation, and we are rich in history, arts, culture and so on. i'm so proud of my khmer origin.
ReplyDeleteWe Khmer have to sacrifice, the responsibility and to work together for our Khmer nation.
ReplyDeleteOne day we will be strong same as the old day. All of us will be able to protect the life of our Khmer people around the world.
yes, khmer people are proud when our country develop fast and with the rest of the world. yes, we all want improved life or better life for all to enjoy in cambodia. god bless.
ReplyDeleteDemocratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
ReplyDeleteMembers:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.