The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 647
“Citizens in a community in Mondolkiri held five Vietnamese people who came to cut trees illegally, but the authorities released them. Regarding this case, citizens suspect that the authorities colluded with the Vietnamese people, because when they arrived at the site, to their surprise, they threatened the Khmer citizens.
“Ms. Khan Chany, a citizen in the community of Bu Sra commune, Pechr Chenda district, Mondolkiri, spoke to Deum Ampil, saying that on 13 January 2010 at around 11:00 a.m., citizens in the community went into the forest of the community and found five Vietnamese people cutting trees illegally in the forest; they had also a tractor.
“She added that after holding those Vietnamese people, the citizens informed the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Mondolkiri prosecutor, but four or five persons from the authorities, whom the citizens assumed coming from Military Unit 8, came to release the Vietnamese; furthermore, they threatened to kill the Khmer citizens involved in this event.
“Another citizen, Klan Sin, said that the citizens do not know why the authorities released those Vietnamese people. He requested the government to quickly intervene in this case in order to protect the forests of Mondolkiri.
“An ADHOC official in Mondolkiri, Mr. Chhay Thy, told Deum Ampil on 14 January 2010 that this case shows an irregularity. ‘Therefore, national investigators should come to check, because what these citizens encountered is the truth, and the collusion to release those Vietnamese people is illegal.’
“The Mondolkiri prosecutor, Mr. Im Sophan, rejected this claim, saying that he came directly to the site and did not see anything. He does not know where the authorities took those Vietnamese people.
“It should be noted that this is the first time that citizens in the community of Bu Sra commune, Pechr Chenda district, held five Vietnamese people, and those citizens claimed that illegal logging frequently happens in that area.” Deum Ampil, Vol.4, #388, 15.1.2010
This article was first published by The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 647 - Friday, 15.1.2010
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Norbert Klein is the Editor of The Mirror – The Mirror is a daily comprehensive summary and translation of the major Khmer language press - More about The Mirror