Five Killed, Nine Injured By Anti-Tank Mine Blast In Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, May 3 (Bernama) -- Five plantation workers were killed and nine others injured by an anti-tank mine that exploded when their vehicle drove over it Saturday afternoon in Pailin province's Sala Krao district, a government mine official confirmed on Monday.

Leng Sochea, deputy secretary general of Mine Action Authority, told Xinhua by phone that three people died instantly at the scene while another two died in the hospital.

Huot Sattha, director of the government's Mine Action Planning Unit in Pailin province, was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying that 13 plantation workers were in the vehicle when it hit the mine, and one passenger escaped with only minor injuries.

"The driver and two women died instantly at the scene after their homemade vehicle ran over the mine on their way home from work," he was quoted as saying.

Last year Cambodia saw 243 land-mine and explosive remnants of war casualties, down from 271 in 2008.

Pailin authority chased out Thai soldiers trespassing into Cambodian territories

04 April 2009
By Sophal Mony
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Cambodian government force in Pailin province chased out about 10 back-clad Thai soldiers from Cambodian territories after these soldiers trespassed 300 meters into Khmer territories.

Pha Thea, the Cambodian official in charge of border issues, indicated on Saturday 04 April that about 10 Thai black-clad soldiers from unit 547 based on O’Namron, Chanbury crossed the border and penetrated into Cambodian territories at Tuol Romdeng, next to border posts number 66 and 67 in Pailin province.

Pha Thea added that Thai soldiers trespassed into Cambodia between 9 and 10AM on 03 April, following the 7AM clash in Veal Entry, Preah Vihear province, on that same day. However, Cambodian border troops from unit 821 chased them out of the area.

Pha Thea said: “We forced them to go back, they should hurry back. They did not say anything and they did not do anything, after we told them, they pulled back. They came in for a while.”

According to Pailin province authority, Thai black-clad soldiers from unit 547 did not indicate the reason of their trespassing, they only agreed to pull out from Khmer territories after they were chased out by Khmer soldiers.

Nevertheless, RFA was not able to contact Thai unit 547 based along the border in O’Namron, Chanbury province which is located next to Cambodia’s Pailin province, to obtain additional information.

Cambodian border troops along the Phally-Phalla hills in Pailin province indicated that, today, black-clad Thai soldiers installed landmine signs in several locations on Cambodian territories, near border posts no. 68 and 69.

A border soldier said: “They came to border post no. 68 and they installed landmine signs on our territories. My unit was patrolling and we saw fresh new signs they just installed at border posts 68 and 69. Their landmine signs look just like ours.”

Regarding Thai soldiers installing landmine signs on Cambodian territories, Cambodian border patrol troops indicated that Cambodian army officers in Pailin province are reviewing this situation and they have called the Thai soldiers to pull them out.

It should be noted that the aggression on Cambodian territories in Pailin province by Thai black-clad soldiers based in Chanbury province took place right after new armed clash occurred between troops from the two countries in Preah Vihear province on 03 March 2009.