A Cambodian nongovernment organiฌsation claims that at least 10 Cambodian civilians had been shot dead while hunting for food or logging in the forested mountains on the ThaiCambodian border last year and early this year.
Executive director of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) Ouch Leng and humanrights activist Chan Soveth came up with a report, obtained by The Nation, saying there were 11 such cases during the 2010 - 2011 period and more allegedly took place earlier. Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Army was not aware of the cases, but added clashes with illegal loggers along the border were possible if there was resistance.
"We have no reports - but both Thai and Cambodian armies agree that [illegal logging] needs attention. Precious wood should be protected from Thai or Khmer loggers. Our protocol [when an encounter takes place] is to identify ourselves, unless they fire at us first. We have no intention to kill anyone but if they shoot back there is no other choice," he explained.
Meanwhile, the CCHR report lists names, time and sites of the killings and illustrates accounts contrary to the Thai army.
According to the report, on January 10, Cambodian men Chem Socheat, 34, and Oeurn Leng, 19, were killed for "trespassing into Thailand" along with 16 other villagers.
"At Prolean Rusey or Prolean Meum in Si Sa Ket province in Thailand, Chen Socheat and Oeurn Leng were shot by Thai soldiers in black uniforms. (Thai soldiers burned their corpses in Thailand.) Oeurng Ol, father of Oeurn Leng who witnessed his son being killed by Thai soldiers, said his son was first hit in the right rib, which made him turn around and fall down. Oeurng Ol was also injured during the incident but he managed to hide."
Some of the cases compiled were first reported by Cambodian news media, such as the incident on March 17 this year. The Koh Sante Pheap daily in its March 1920 edition alleged three Cambodians had been killed by a landmine placed by Thai soldiers after they entered Thailand for logging in Dangrek Mountain at the point of border topographic demarcation No 2593.
The report claimed the three men died after they pulled a tree down and came in contact with a mine "which was set up by Thai soldiers and detonated".
