Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Logger deaths in Oddar Meanchey soar in 2012

Logger deaths in Oddar Meanchey soar in 2012

Logger deaths in Oddar Meanchey soar in 2012

Though nationwide figures remain elusive, the number of Cambodian loggers killed or injured by Thai soldiers along the border in Oddar Meanchey province in 2012 was up more than 110 per cent from 2011, provincial police officials said yesterday.

Sun Korng, director of the statistics office at the Oddar Meanchey provincial police, said 19 Cambodians were shot dead by Thai soldiers last year and 16 were injured after crossing the border illegally – up from only eight deaths and eight injuries in 2011 – and that the number incidents in which shots were fired had risen as well.

“In 2011, Thais shot at Cambodians 12 times, and [shot at them] 21 times in 2012,” he said.

Repatriations of Cambodians back to the province by Thai authorities, he added, rose 42 per cent to 376 from 265 in 2011.

According to provincial police deputy chief of staff Chhet Chhorn, Oddar Meanchey police and border police themselves arrested nearly 400 Cambodians last year before they managed to cross the border into Thailand to look for work, or illegally log.

“Most of them attempted to cross the border wherever they could, but our forces arrested and educated them before freeing them to go home,” he said.

Despite the arrests, Srey Naren, provincial co-ordinator for the rights group Adhoc, criticised police for what he characterised as weak measures in cracking down on the luxury timber trade.

“We noticed that the death toll is increasing, and it is a concern. The price of timber keeps going up, and traders need more workers to log illegally. Police arrested workers, but not brokers or traders,” said Naren, who maintained that police had undercounted shooting deaths in 2012.

“I visited and investigated all the families whose members were shot death by the Thais. There were more than 30 in 2012,” he added.

Oddar Meanchey provincial authorities declined to comment on the matter.

Pich Vanna, chief of the Cambodian-Thai Border Relations Office, said that while he did not have an official report yet, he was optimistic that the shootings and other incidents along the entire border would prove to have declined in 2012.

“Our Cambodians are not so aware of local work. We have jobs locally for them, but they prefer working in Thailand,” he said. “Our police are trying to stop them from doing so, and the cases are down now.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Phak Seangly at [email protected]
 

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • Thong Khon calls for orderly SEA Games closing ceremony

    Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is