By Tep Nimol
Monday, 23 April 2012
Phnom Penh Post
One Cambodian was fatally shot, two were injured and more than 100
others fled Thailand under gunfire on Saturday after Thai soldiers
allegedly discovered them illegally logging rosewood near Preah Vihear
province, military officials said yesterday.
Ten men were unable
to escape and were captured by Thai authorities in the aftermath of the
shooting, which occurred in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province, Meas
Yoeun, deputy military commander in Preah Vihear province’s Choam Ksan
district, told the Post yesterday.
The Thais claimed that their
gunfire was an act of “self-protection” because the Cambodians had fired
first, Meas Yoeun reported. However, the deputy military commander said
that the group of loggers did not own firearms.
“The Cambodians
did not have guns, as the Thais alleged. They just had knives and axes
to log the rosewood,” Meas Yoeun said, adding that it was “illegal” for
the Thais to shoot at Cambodian civilians.
Pich Vanna, deputy
director of the Cambodia-Thai border office, similarly decried the
shooting, calling for a “ceasefire” and accusing the Thais of firing on
Cambodians as if they were animals.
The deputy director also
said he had filed a notice to Thai officials on Sunday asking for
permission for Cambodian authorities to search for the body of the slain
logger and for the repatriation of the 10 who were detained, but had
not yet received a response.
Lor Chan, provincial coordinator for
rights group Adhoc in Preah Vihear, said the shooting was a “serious
abuse of human rights”.
“Human life isn’t like an animal’s life. You can’t just shoot people whenever you feel like it,” Lor Chan said.
This most recent shooting comes in the wake of increased numbers of Cambodian loggers being killed during border crossings.
Recent
figures from rights group Adhoc claim 13 Cambodian illegal loggers were
shot and killed in the first quarter of the year by Thai soldiers. With
that figure now at 14, the numbers appear on pace to rise markedly from
2011, when only 13 Cambodians were killed in the entire year.
Prime
Minister Hun Sen earlier this month challenged military commanders,
police and local authorities to launch a “campaign” to help prevent the
illegal crossing into Thailand by Cambodian loggers.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tep Nimol at tep.nimol@phnompenhpost.com
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