Three Pon Nhea Leu district fisheries officers were beaten to death on Monday night

and their bodies dumped in the river after they confiscated fishing nets and equipment

from fishermen on the Tonle Sap 15 km from Phnom Penh.

According to one of the survivers, Chum Vuthy, he and five other fisheries officers

were patrolling the river when they discovered three boats using illegally sized

nets. He said they confiscated the equipment but were then confronted by a group

of 30 people in boats who hemmed them in and started to beat the fisheries officers.

The Deputy chief of the Police Post at Prek Pnao, Van Beung, said that three bodies

- Van Sam Ath, Sok Chea and Keo Kim Soeng - were found in the river and showed signs

of being seriously beaten. One other fisheries officer survived the attack but is

suffering serious head injuries.

Police said they had arrested five people for the attack.