CWC's visit border post No. 131 between Cambodia and Vietnam

CWC's visit border post No. 125 between Cambodia and Vietnam

3 Cambodian villagers lost to Vietnam, who are the TRAITORS who let it happen?

Rong Chhun’s group visited border post 131 without incident

09 Jan 2011
Cambodia Express News
Translated from Khmer by Ach Phkay

The Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC), led by Mr. Rong Chhun, reached its destination at border post no. 131(1) in Meun Chey village, Krobao commune, Komchay Mea district, Prey Veng province, at 10AM on 09 January.

Border post 131(1) is facing the opposite border post no. 131(2) located inside Vietnam. The Mean Chey River separates the two border posts. The cops did not set any obstacle to this visit, and quite to the contrary, the border post led the group to the locations where Mr. Rong Chhun’s group wanted to see.

A group of about 19 CWC members left to Prey Veng province on Sunday morning to visit border posts with Vietnam, to verify that there was no loss of Cambodian territories.

Border post no 125 between Cambodia and Vietnam encroached inside Cambodia

CWC's visit to border post no. 125 on 09 Jan 2011 (Photo: Uon Chhin, RFA)

09 Jan 2011
By Uon Chhin
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Ach Phkay
Click here to read the article in Khmer

The Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC) indicated that border post no. 125 between Cambodia and Vietnam was planted inside Cambodian territories in Ponhea Krek district, Kampong Cham. The border planting led to the loss of Cambodian rice fields and 3 villages.

The CWC determination came after 23 of its members performed a visit to Cambodia-Vietnam border posts on 09 January 2011 in two provinces: Prey Veng and Kampong Cham.

The three Cambodian villages lost are: Anlong Chrey, Ta Am and Thloc Trach, all located in Kak commune, Ponhea Krek district, Kampong Cham province

CWC to visit the border posts No. 130 & 131 between Cambodia and Vietnam in Prey Veng province

Click on the article in Khmer to zoom in

Rong Chhun’s delegation reaches border post no. 109

Rong Chhun (Photo: The Free Press Magazine)

05 December 2010
By Sopheak
Cambodia Express News
Translated from Khmer by M’riel M’riel

Phnom Penh – Mr. Rong Chhun and his delegation of about 20 people from the Cambodian Watchdog Council (CWC), as well as reporters, has reached border post no. 109 at noon on 05 December 2010.

The goal of the CWC delegation led by Rong Chhun is to visit border post no. 109 located at Damrey Phong area, Da Kandal village, Da commune, Memot district, Kampong Cham province. The visit was made after more than 200 local villagers complained that the planting of this border post led to the loss of their lands.

Today, the villagers still complain that the planting of this border post encroached about 200-meter into their village. Rong Chhun claimed that he will report this issue to the government to obtain a resolution. However, sVar Kim Hong, the chairman of the government border committee, claimed that border post no. 109 did not lead to any land loss as the villagers claimed.

sVar Kim Hong indicated that the planting of border post no. 109 was done with the participation of the local authority, as well as by the local villagers. He accused the opposition of inciting the villagers to make this protest.

Rong Chhun’s delegation safely reached border post no. 109, even though sVar Kim Hong warned beforehand that the cops will prevent them from reaching this area. This morning, the local cops stopped the delegation for questioning there as well, but there was no major confrontation.

Border markers cause ‘suspicion’: CWC head

Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Kim Yuthana
The Phnom Penh Post

THE decision to block a Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC) delegation from viewing contested border posts in Takeo province on Sunday is evidence that the government has something to hide, Rong Chhun, the council’s president, said in a statement issued Monday.

“The prevention caused even more suspicion about what was behind the implanting of the border stakes. The Cambodian authorities have tried very hard to ban lawmakers and civil society representatives from visiting the stakes to find out the truth,” read the statement.

On Sunday, about 10 members of the CWC were prevented from inspecting a border post in Borei Cholsa district’s Chey Chauk commune, that some villagers have claimed impinges on their farmland.

Var Kimhong, senior minister in charge of border affairs, dismissed Rong Chhun’s claim on Tuesday, saying there was nothing suspicious about any of the posts planted along Cambodia’s border with Vietnam.

“The government prevented them from seeing the place because it did not want to see the act of thoughtless uprooting of border stakes again, such as was the case in Svay Rieng province,” he said, referring to a stunt last October that ultimately led to a two-year prison sentence for opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is now in France.

Overseas Cambodians would welcome government lawsuit against Thailand on Preah Vihear temple

17 March 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Overseas Cambodians would be very happy if the government would truly complain about Thailand to the UN regarding the 4.6-square-km area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple. Thailand claimed that this land area belongs to them. Ear Channa, Secretary-general of the Norway-based Cambodian Watchdog Council, told RFA: “If the Cambodian PM truly takes this case to complain to the UN, we all would be very happy and we will all welcome this action because this is what we want from the start. We kept on suggesting to the Cambodian government to peacefully end this case with the UN or The Hague International Court of Justice because if we insist on holding bilateral negotiations, we don’t know when it will end and it could lead to more unending bloody fights. This is what we call peaceful resolution and we end it without a drop of blood at the UN.”

Border Row: Civil society defends SRP claim

Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

Border Row

A coalition of local civil society organisations has slammed the government’s confrontational stance towards opposition leader Sam Rainsy, defending his allegations about Vietnamese territorial encroachments. In a statement on Tuesday, the Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC) said government officials continue to ignore all concerns relating to the country’s eastern frontier. “CWC notes that both the Cambodian Border Committee and government leaders have never received the concerns of civil society and political parties about the loss of land because of invasions from neighbouring countries,” the statement read. On Monday, Var Kimhong, Cambodia’s chief border negotiator, told reporters that Sam Rainsy could face charges of falsifying public documents to support his claim that border markers have been posted inside Cambodian territory in Svay Rieng province.Tith Sothea, a member of the Council of Ministers’ Press Quick Reaction Unit, dismissed the CWC’s statement, saying that the government border demarcation had taken place within a legal framework.

Civil society criticizes lawsuit threat against Sam Rainsy

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The civil society has reacted very strongly against the declaration made by a high-ranking Hun Xen’s government official who, on Monday, said that the government will sue opposition leader Sam Rainsy for publishing Cambodian-Viet border documents. According to The Phnom Penh Post, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the Cambodia Watchdog Council noted that both the Cambodian government border commission and the Cambodian government leaders never recognized the concerns expressed by civil society and opposition party regarding the loss of Cambodian territories stemming from the Vietnamese aggression. On Monday, Var Kim Hong, the senior minister in charge of border indicated during a press conference that opposition leader Sam Rainsy could face lawsuit for falsifying public documents simply because Sam Rainsy claimed that he has documents that showed that the planting of border stakes in Svay Rieng leads to the loss of Cambodian territories.

Cambodia Watchdog Council's Report from Preah Vihear on Thai aggression

Click on the statement in Khmer to zoom in

Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC)

Statement

On 8-10 August 2008, CWC leaders visited soldiers posted in Choam Sa-ngam O’Kranhoung border pass, and the Kbal Ansoang border pass located in Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, to study and understand better the situation of the aggression conducted by Thai King’s soldiers on the territorial integrity of Cambodia.

CWC investigation indicated that: The Siamese aggression not only took place in the Preah Vihear temple and the Ta Moan temple areas, their aggressions are also taking place all along the borderline, such as the Choam Sa-ngam O’Kranhoung border pass and the Kbal Ansoang border pass as well. The Thai thieves encroached 1,500-meter (into Cambodia), starting from the (old border post) and the Ta Mok road all the way to the current border post and current road (on top the Dangrek Mountain Chain). In O’Kranhoung, water pond and roads that Cambodian soldiers used in the past, right now, Thailand cut down trees to close the road, and to cover the water pond so that Cambodian soldiers cannot fetch water to use, and the road cannot be used either.

CWC investigation indicated that: the situation has not improved, Thai thieves still intent on aggressing Cambodia, and Cambodian soldiers are facing with food and water shortage, their health conditions have also been affected. Delay by the Cambodian government (to resolve these issues) will provide more opportunities to the Thai thieves, and they will have more advantage over Cambodia.

On this issue of Thai aggression over Cambodia, CWC recommends that the Royal Government of Cambodia places its utmost importance on the Nation’s interest, and it should avoid taking advantage of the Nation’s interest to serve the interest of any particular individual, any group, or any political party, this must not happen. In order to match Thailand, the Royal Government of Cambodia must maintain a strong standing and demand for the UN Security Council’s immediate intervention against the Siamese aggression. The Royal Government of Cambodia should stand firmly on the following bases:

1. 1904 and 1907 Siam-France Treaties, as well as the 1937 Convention,
2. The 1962 decision handed by The Hague International Court of Justice, and the maps attached to this decision,
3. The 23 October 1991 Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia.

Phnom Penh, 12 August 2008

(Signed) Rong Chhun and Chea Mony