By Khmerization
Source: RFA
Many local officials and villagers have criticised the authority for preventing members of parliament from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and border activists from visiting the contentious border post No. 270, villagers claimed was planted in their rice-fields and deep inside Khmer territory, reports Radio Free Asia.
On 3rd June, more than 200 people, including parliamentarians, travelled to visit border post No. 270 in Anh Chanh village, Chey Chok commune, Borei Cholasa district in Takeo province to verify whether the villagers' claim was true. However, they were heckled and blocked from visiting the site by authority and vigilante groups.
Many locals, including some who claimed to be members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) have expressed disappointments with the authority for banning the visit, causing more suspicions that border post No. 270 might be planted inside Khmer territory as claimed by the villagers.
A man who claimed to be a member of the ruling CPP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the government should be more open and transparent about border demarcations with Vietnam. "I appeal to the leaders of the government to be more open to representatives of all political parties and allow them to go and examine (the post) on the spot to show to everybody that it has nothing to hide so that they have no excuse to attack the (ruling) CPP", he said.
Another villager known as Tranh from Prey Malu, Kropum Chhouk commune in Koh Andet district, said he wanted to know the truth. "I wanted to know the truth whether the border post (No. 270) was planted inside Khmer or Vietnamese territory", he said.
"I am really disappointed that I have not been able to go and see the border post (No. 270)" with my own eyes", said Mok Sor, a commune councillor from the SRP.
A councillor for Tropeang Kro-Nhoung commune, Mr Ou Em, said if the government has nothing to hide, it should not be afraid of the visit by the opposition MPs. Using a metaphor of a Cambodian old saying, he said: "If the government said that it is a real gold, then it should not be afraid of a fire. It must send the journalists and those who want to know the truth to the spot. Like the border on the western side, we went together to see and found that the Thais actually wanted to invade us. But on the eastern side, after the posts were planted and when we Khmers wanted to see the truth whether they were planted inside Khmer territory or on the border line, the authority has prevented us from visiting the spot", he said.
Villagers claimed that border post No. 270 was planted 200-300 metres deep inside their rice-fields inside Cambodian territory. The government, who denied that border post No. 270 was planted in farmers' rice-fields and deep inside Khmer territory, however, said that the area was a vacant grassland.
Source: RFA
Many local officials and villagers have criticised the authority for preventing members of parliament from the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and border activists from visiting the contentious border post No. 270, villagers claimed was planted in their rice-fields and deep inside Khmer territory, reports Radio Free Asia.
On 3rd June, more than 200 people, including parliamentarians, travelled to visit border post No. 270 in Anh Chanh village, Chey Chok commune, Borei Cholasa district in Takeo province to verify whether the villagers' claim was true. However, they were heckled and blocked from visiting the site by authority and vigilante groups.
Many locals, including some who claimed to be members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) have expressed disappointments with the authority for banning the visit, causing more suspicions that border post No. 270 might be planted inside Khmer territory as claimed by the villagers.
A man who claimed to be a member of the ruling CPP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the government should be more open and transparent about border demarcations with Vietnam. "I appeal to the leaders of the government to be more open to representatives of all political parties and allow them to go and examine (the post) on the spot to show to everybody that it has nothing to hide so that they have no excuse to attack the (ruling) CPP", he said.
Another villager known as Tranh from Prey Malu, Kropum Chhouk commune in Koh Andet district, said he wanted to know the truth. "I wanted to know the truth whether the border post (No. 270) was planted inside Khmer or Vietnamese territory", he said.
"I am really disappointed that I have not been able to go and see the border post (No. 270)" with my own eyes", said Mok Sor, a commune councillor from the SRP.
A councillor for Tropeang Kro-Nhoung commune, Mr Ou Em, said if the government has nothing to hide, it should not be afraid of the visit by the opposition MPs. Using a metaphor of a Cambodian old saying, he said: "If the government said that it is a real gold, then it should not be afraid of a fire. It must send the journalists and those who want to know the truth to the spot. Like the border on the western side, we went together to see and found that the Thais actually wanted to invade us. But on the eastern side, after the posts were planted and when we Khmers wanted to see the truth whether they were planted inside Khmer territory or on the border line, the authority has prevented us from visiting the spot", he said.
Villagers claimed that border post No. 270 was planted 200-300 metres deep inside their rice-fields inside Cambodian territory. The government, who denied that border post No. 270 was planted in farmers' rice-fields and deep inside Khmer territory, however, said that the area was a vacant grassland.
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