A Change of Guard

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Friday 26 March 2010

Sam Rainsy: Cambodia lost territories through border demarcations

By Khmerization
Source: DAP News and VOA

Mr. Sam Rainsy, leader of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), still strongly insist that he had done nothing wrong for uprooting six border stakes because those border stakes were planted 319 metres deep inside Khmer territories, reports Deum Ampil.

On 27th January, Mr. Sam Rainsy was convicted and sentenced in absentia to 2 years jail while two villagers who took part were arrested and jailed for 12 months for uprooting six border markers on 25th October 2009 in Chantrea district of Svay Rieng province.

However, during a video-conference on Thursday, Mr. Rainsy insisted that not only border post no. 185 that he uprooted was situated inside Khmer territories, even border post numbers 184, 186, and 187 located nearby were also planted about 300-500 metres deep inside Khmer territories.

Mr. Sam Rainsy said his claims are based on the works of independent cartographical experts from France, such as Mr. by Regis Caloz, by using maps that were officially deposited at the UN by the Sihanouk government in 1964.

Mr. Var Kimhong, chairman of Cambodian Border Commiittee, accused Mr. Sam Rainsy of falsifying documents and evidences. However, Mr. Titha Sothea, member of the Press Quick Reaction Unit, said Mr. Sam Rainsy should present his evidences of Vietnamese encroachments to court rather than to the media. "If Mr. Sam rainsy claim that he has sufficient documents and maps, he should present them to the court so that the court can do its job", he said.

During the same conference, Mr. Rainsy has also called for the release of the two jailed farmers. Mr. Tith Sothea, however, rejected Mr. Rainsy's call saying that the 2 jailed farmers had been fairly dealt by the court.

In another development, VOA Khmer reports that opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is accused of putting a false map of the Vietnamese border on his party’s Web site, defended his position Thursday, showing reporters via video conference (pictured) a 14-page report from a geographic expert that he said proves border demarcation has ceded land to Cambodia’s eastern neighbor.

The question of border encroachment is a highly charged political issue, and Sam Rainsy, who is in exile, faces a two-year jail sentence on charges related to the destruction of several border markers last year.

The government again sued him earlier this year for putting up a map he says proves Cambodia is losing land.

The report, by Regis Caloz, an expert in Geographic Information Systems, shows four different markers placed between 300 meters and 500 meters inside Cambodia’s original border.

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