Khmer border guards.Radio Free Asia
By Zakariya
13th April, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization
Twenty soldiers from Battalion 3 complained that their commander had embezzled their salary and food rations, reports Radio Free Asia.
They told RFA on 13th April that they don't have the money to send home to their family to spend during the Khmer New Year because their salary has been cut by their commander.
An anonymous soldier from Battalion 3 said that before the soldiers were given 10,000 Riels ($2.50) per day to buy food and now it's been cut to 5,00 Riels, but even then they were given the money but were given in food rations. The soldiers accused deputy commander of Battalion 3, Mr. Ray Sam-An, of keeping the money and give them very little food instead.
He said: "The soup has no taste. Sometimes we get gourd soup, sometimes winter melon soup, sometimes eggplant, sometimes water lily and sometimes an anchovy sour soup. These fish are about the size of our thumps and they only put 3 of them in the soup for 20 people."
Another anonymous soldier said that every month he never received his salary on a regular basis. Sometimes he received 180,000 Riels ($45) per month and sometimes 190,000 Riels per month.
He said this level of salary cannot support his family because he did not have any farmlands to grow rice and his family only depends on his salary to survive. He said: "My family faces deep hardship because I have to fulfil my military duty at the frontline and my salary has been illegally cut. Most of the times it's been paid late, but I don't mind as long as it is paid on a regular basis. For example, if salary is due this month, just pay us this month so we can feed our family on the same month."
Mr. Ray Sam-An, the accused battalion commander, said that he had spent the 5,000 Riels in food ration properly and that he had not kept any money for himself. He said that he provided enough food for all his 20 soldiers. He said: "It is true that other units did not have enough food, but for my unit there is no reason why they don't have enough food. They eat everyday and I saw them eat their full everyday, why they said they didn't eat enough. Now we have enough because during the Khmer New Year the deputy prime minister brought us more pork and give us a New Year pay bonus to celebrate the New Year. In the past few days, the provincial governor came to visit us and brought us plenty of gifts plus 100, 000 Riels ($25) in cash to each soldier."
Recently, Mr. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information, told RFA that the level of soldiers' salary is still low and that, currently, Cambodia has only about 100,000 soldiers.
By Zakariya
13th April, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization
Twenty soldiers from Battalion 3 complained that their commander had embezzled their salary and food rations, reports Radio Free Asia.
They told RFA on 13th April that they don't have the money to send home to their family to spend during the Khmer New Year because their salary has been cut by their commander.
An anonymous soldier from Battalion 3 said that before the soldiers were given 10,000 Riels ($2.50) per day to buy food and now it's been cut to 5,00 Riels, but even then they were given the money but were given in food rations. The soldiers accused deputy commander of Battalion 3, Mr. Ray Sam-An, of keeping the money and give them very little food instead.
He said: "The soup has no taste. Sometimes we get gourd soup, sometimes winter melon soup, sometimes eggplant, sometimes water lily and sometimes an anchovy sour soup. These fish are about the size of our thumps and they only put 3 of them in the soup for 20 people."
Another anonymous soldier said that every month he never received his salary on a regular basis. Sometimes he received 180,000 Riels ($45) per month and sometimes 190,000 Riels per month.
He said this level of salary cannot support his family because he did not have any farmlands to grow rice and his family only depends on his salary to survive. He said: "My family faces deep hardship because I have to fulfil my military duty at the frontline and my salary has been illegally cut. Most of the times it's been paid late, but I don't mind as long as it is paid on a regular basis. For example, if salary is due this month, just pay us this month so we can feed our family on the same month."
Mr. Ray Sam-An, the accused battalion commander, said that he had spent the 5,000 Riels in food ration properly and that he had not kept any money for himself. He said that he provided enough food for all his 20 soldiers. He said: "It is true that other units did not have enough food, but for my unit there is no reason why they don't have enough food. They eat everyday and I saw them eat their full everyday, why they said they didn't eat enough. Now we have enough because during the Khmer New Year the deputy prime minister brought us more pork and give us a New Year pay bonus to celebrate the New Year. In the past few days, the provincial governor came to visit us and brought us plenty of gifts plus 100, 000 Riels ($25) in cash to each soldier."
Recently, Mr. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information, told RFA that the level of soldiers' salary is still low and that, currently, Cambodia has only about 100,000 soldiers.
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