Hun Xen cheers Nguyen Tan Dung during the inauguration of border post 171 in Svay Rieng (Photo: Sovannara, RFI)20 May 2010
By Pen Bona
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Oss Dey
Click here to read the article in Khmer
The lawsuit case against the uprooting of border post in Svay Rieng province did not even conclude yet and now the border problem is raging into Takeo province already. The opposition criticized the planting of border post 270 located in Borey Chulsa district, Takeo province, which led to the loss of several dozens of hectares of rice fields belonging to Cambodian farmers. However, the Cambodian government claimed that these lands are merely grass fields and that they do not belong to anybody. Nevertheless, opposition MPS asked the government to delay the planting of border posts to allow time for a proper evaluation.
Internal disputes in Cambodia on border problems are raging all over again, this time in Takeo in province. This problem is taking place when the lawsuit case against the uprooting of a border post in Svay Rieng has not even concluded yet.
During these last few days, the opposition criticized the loss of rice fields in Takeo province stemming from the planting of border post no. 270 in Chey Chauk commune, Borey Chulsa district. The local population protested, indicating that a border post was planted on top of their rice fields which they have worked on for a long time now.
On Thursday, a group of about 20 SRP MPs signed a petition sent to Hun Xen asking the government to delay the planting of border posts in Takeo province temporarily to allow a clear evaluation before new work can be proceeded. According to the SRP MPs’ petition, several dozens of hectares of rice field lands belonging to Cambodian farmers are lost from the border post planting.
However, the Takeo authority, as well as the government border committee, rejected this information, claiming that the land where the border post is planted is a grass field along the border and it does not belong to anybody. Government border experts accused the opposition of inflating the information to incite people to demonstrate against the government.
The problem in Takeo province is reminiscent of the problem in Svay Reing, there, opposition leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced by the Svay Rieng provincial court to 2-year of jail time for destruction of public properties after he uprooted border stakes in Samrong district. Two Cambodian farmers who were involved in the uprooting with Sam Rainsy were sentenced to 1-year of jail time each. Currently, Sam Rainsy is also being sued at the Phnom Penh municipal court for falsifying public document after he published maps showing the loss of Cambodian territories. The government sued Sam Rainsy, accusing him of publication of maps that do not show appropriate coordinates.
SRP MPs plan to visit the location of the border post in Takeo in the near future. Meanwhile, opposition leader Sam Rainsy is conduction a campaign overseas to fight against the government in regards to the planting of border posts with Vietnam
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