The Voices from Phum Daung - The Land Robbed by Vietnam

Translated from Indradevi Magazine by Anonymous
Issue No. 25th August-10th September, 2001
E-mail:Indradevi@camnet.com.kh

In response to the complaints of Phum Daung villagers, Ning Sin, a member of parliament, led a delegation to visit the village on the 10th of August 2001. When the delegation arrived in the village the Vietnamese border police entered the village to arrest the delegates and to confiscate their cameras and films.

Ning Sin told Indradevi Magazine that after receiving the complaints he decided to lead a delegation to inspect the rice paddies allegedly destroyed by the Vietnamese authorities and the nine houses of the Khmer families which Vietnamese authorities claimed to have been built on Vietnam's soil. When the delegation was still inspecting and photographing the one rice paddy that was allegedly destroyed by the Vietnamese authorities suddenly there arrived two Vietnamese policemen to detain the delegation and the scuffle broke out after the officers attempted to confiscate their cameras and films. After a few minutes of scuffle the officers asked the delegation to go the office at their check point to resolve the issue. When they escorted the delegation passed the Khmer border check point all the delegates ran inside the building which angered the two officers and they cursed and insulted the delegation with profanity and foul language.

Ning Sin said that the next day, the 11th of August 2001, Nhiek Bunchhay, the second Vice-President of the Senate led another delegation, which Ning Sin is a member, to visit Phum Daung again. Nhiek Bunchhay planned to visit the nine houses located on Khmer land, which was claimed by Vietnam as their land, but the Vietnamese authorities prevented them from visiting the occupants of the nine houses.

Ning Sin said that Nhiek Bunchhay and the delegation did not want to cause any trouble with the
Vietnamese authorities so they decided to return without having an opportunity to inspect the destroyed rice fields.

The next day, on 12th of Agust 2001, there were three delegations consisting of 50 people which were
led by Hourn Bunny, a Khmer expatriates from America. Among the delegates were Sam Samdoeun and Sith Ibrahim who are members of parliament from the Sam Rainsy Party and two student associations.

Hourn Bunny had brought with him presents and aid donated by Khmer expatriates living in America to the victimized villagers of Phum Daung. The donations include one ton of husked rice and 5 water wells to share among 75 families of Phum Daung. This is the second batch of aid from Khmer expatriates living in America. The first batch brought by Hourn Bunny includes a large quantity of rice and 25 wells.

During the distribution of aid hundreds of people sobbed and cried out emotionally and described how their rice fields were destroyed by the Vietnamese authorities. Some described how their oxen, buffaloes, rakes and plows were confiscated and having to pay fines and bribes of between 30,000-100,000 riels if they toiled the fields claimed by Vietnam.

Bae Hak, a lady of 41 years old who lives in Phum Daung, said that nowadays the Vietnamese authorities had increasingly maltreated the villagers of Phum Daung and when their cattle grazed in the disputed areas the owners were beaten and forced to pay fines. Two of her young children who went to cut the grass in the disputed areas to feed their cattle were beaten badly. The day after, the Vietnamese police seized two of her oxen and demanded she pays 100,000 riels in fines. She said that the same happened to her neighbours. Six of Pou Neang's cattle were seized by Vietnamese police and they demanded he pays 15,000 riels. Two of Tith Phalla's buffaloes were seized and she was demanded to pay one chi of gold. And 4 of Moeng Sorn's cattle were seized and she was demanded to pay two chi of gold.

Bae Hak said that whenever there were complaints of land disputes between the Vietnamese and the Khmer, the Khmer authorities never come to resolve the disputes and sometimes totally ignored their complaints. On the contrary, the Vietnamese authorities always accompanied their villagers equipped and armed with weapons and electric batons.

31-year-old Em Choeun of Prey Totuol, Daung commune, said that on the 2nd of August 2001 at 4pm when he was grazing his 3 buffallo in the fields suddenly 5 Vietnamese policemen arrived to surround him in an attempt to arrest him and seize his buffaloes. He tried to chase his buffaloes westward toward Cambodia's side but was caught up by the Vietnamese police, captured and were beaten very badly. Em Choeun said that two young villagers came to his aid but were also beaten by the Vietnamese police. 20-year-old Mao Yim tried to help Choeun chase his buffaloes out but was captured. They tried to choke him by squeezing his neck and threw him against the dam. He tried to free himself by hitting the officers with the stick. The Viet police got very angry and fired 3 shots over his head.

15-year-old Oung Rong came to their aid but was also captured. The Viet police tried to choke him by squeezing his neck and they also tried to cut off his palms by using palm leaves to saw off his palms leaving serious wounds up until today.

According to the information provided by the many villagers of Phum Daung, the chief of border post, named Pen Sophean, is actually a Vietnamese national. They said that when there was a dispute between the Vietnamese and the Khmer he never tried to resolve it.

Sith Ibrahim, a Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian, said that he is concerned about the fate of the people and the territorial integrity of the land surrounding Daung commune.

Prak Suth, Chief of Daung commune, admitted that he never took up the people's complaints with the authorities in Phnom Penh because most cases were resolved between the local authorities and the Vietnamese authorities.

According to him, the survey in 1996 revealed that 80.38 hectares of land in Daung commune were seized by Vietnam and more than 300 families had their land stolen, among those 150 families lost both of their land and their houses. Among 2,178 people who live in Daung commune, Sam Samdoeun, a Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian, said that he told the Cambodian government that Vietnam is trying to cut off the limbs and lifelines of those occupants of the nine houses claimed by the Viet authorities to have been built on their soil.

Prak Uth, Deputy Chief of Srok Romeas Hek said that any Khmer who wish to enter those nine houses must first get the permission from the Viet authorities. But he said that they will never ask for a permission because by doing so it confers the legitimacy of the Vietnamese claims to the nine houses and the land belonging to those nine houses.

Hourn Bunny, the Khmer expatriate from America, said that he admired the courage of the occupants of the nine houses who adamantly and steadfastly refused to move out or agreed to become Vietnamese citizens as requested and forced to do so by the Vietnamese authorities. He promised that if the villagers wish to build a temple on the site of the old Wat Daung Chas Pagoda, he is determined to find the money for the construction of the temple and he also promised to build a bridge linking Daung and Kampong Thom communes as well. [END]