Body of man gunned down by Thai troops returned to family

Written by Thet Sambath and Yun Vann

Friday, 05 September 2008 Courtesy of Phnom Penh Post

The 28-year-old was killed in a cross-border drug deal gone wrong that also wounded a Thai trooper, police say, promising investigation FRONTIER JUSTICE Poipet border authorities say the last shooting of a Cambodian near the border occurred two years ago when a man was killed by Thai police while attempting to cross through an illegal corridor often used by smugglers. THE body of a Cambodian man reportedly killed by Thai soldiers while trying to make a drug deal across the border from Banteay Meanchey province's O'Chrov district was repatriated Thursday. Police said that Hel Touch, 28, from Prek Chan village, O'Beichoarn commune, was trying to deal narcotics with Thai soldiers when he was shot Tuesday night. His two accomplices escaped, provincial police commissioner Hun Hean told the Post. Hun Hean said that Hel Touch tried to kill three Thai soldiers by throwing a grenade at them after the deal went bad. The grenade explosion wounded Hel Touch and slightly hurt one of the soldiers, who then fatally shot the Cambodian, Hun Hean added. "We are still not sure about the accuracy of the Thai authority's report. We will investigate it more thoroughly," said Sam Chit, Banteay Meanchey province's deputy police chief.He added that Thai police had said the desceased and his accomplices were also involved in smuggling stolen motorbikes and cars. Hel Touch's body was handed over to Cambodian authorities at the Poipet border crossing, where relatives were waiting to bring the him to their village for a funeral ceremony, according to Tim Sareth, deputy chief of the Thai-Cambodian Relations Office. Chhouk Ang, commander of Border Police Battalion 911 stationed north of Poipet, did not attribute the killing to military tensions along the border. He said the situation has been normal despite the standoff between Cambodia and Thailand over disputed territory.