SRP officials scorned Svay Rieng authority not to imtimidate its activists

SRP MPs visiting Meas Srey and Prum Chea in jail on 19th Jan, 2010 in Svay Rieng.

Source: RFA

Members of parliament from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) have on 19th January severely scorned the local Svay Rieng authority for acting as secret police and trying to intimidate them and party's activists when they visited the family of jailed farmers, Mr. Meas Srey and Mr. Prum Chea, at Koh Kbal Kandal village, Samrong commune, Chantrea district in Svay Rieng province.

Many MPs, including the firebrand Mr. Eng Chhay Eang, strongly scorned those policemen who are posted around the houses of the jailed farmers' family while they visited them. Mr. Eng Chhay Eang blasted them for acting like the secret police. "At least we have told you about our identity and where we came from. No one has ever done anything like this (spying and intimidating). This age is the age of multi-party democracy, so everyone has full freedom guarranteed by laws. We see that only the Svay Rieng authority seems to use (extreme) measures to intimidate the people. Mr. Policemen! Please tell (your boss) that I am Eng Chhay Eang, MP from the SRP, wish to request to the authority to please advise all civil servants who receive their salary from the people (taxpayers) that they should work and carry out activities to serve the people rather than creating fears (to the people). This is my request", he told the secret police.

Mr. Mao Lanh, Samrong commune police chief who is monitoring the MPs' activities very closely, said he came to ensure security. "I came because if there is any problems, I can report back to the higher authority. I want to ensure good security. We don't harrass them but we want to let the authority know clearly (what they are doing) so they don't cause any insecurity", he said.

Wife of Mr. Prum Chea, one of the jailed farmers, Mrs. Choeung Sarin, said she is happy to see the SRP MPs coming to visit her husband in jail and her family at her house. "(I wish) to thank them for coming to help boost my morale", she said.

The SRP have visited the two jailed farmers, Mrs. Meas Srey and Mr. Prum Chea, in jail on the same day on 19th January. The two were jailed after they were led by opposition leader Sam Rainsy to uproot temporary border markers from the middle of their rice fields on 25th October 2009.