FOUR villagers in Stung Treng province have filed a complaint with a local rights group, accusing Thala Barivat district governor Chea Thavrith of threatening them with a gun.

Rath Bunheng, one of the villagers who filed the complaint with the rights group Adhoc, said the incident occurred when he, his wife and two other women were walking home from a karaoke parlour.

“I did nothing, but he drove his car and stopped in front of us and asked who crashed a motorbike into his car,” he said. “Then he took out a gun and pointed it at my head.”

He said the governor appeared drunk and smelled of alcohol.

“When he pointed the gun at me, about half of my soul ran away from me,” he added.

But Chea Thavrith said he drew his gun in self-defence after they called him to a stop to ask if he was a driver for a TV station.

“Then one man approached me with a bat in hand, so I took my gun from my car to protect myself,” he said.

“I have filed a complaint to local authorities.”

Provincial prosecutor Chroeung Khmao said he passed the governors complaint to provincial police officials for investigation.