Border Marker Posted in Villagers’ Farmland in Kampong Cham

Up to now Kampong Cham province has become the third one that local villagers, who live along the Cambodian-Vietnamese border, asserted that border makers, which have been recently planted by the committee of the two countries, encroach on villagers’ farmland, which also infringe Cambodian territorial integrity.

Sam Rainsy Party lawmakers in Kampong Cham province reported that new border demarcations with Vietnam have been posted kilometer inside Cambodia’s original boundary. A number of border posts have been place in the Ponhea Krek district, Kampong Cham province.

Moa Monyvann, the opposition parliamentarian in Kampong Cham, said that local villagers had informed they would lose their land to the Vietnamese party due to the posts. Therefore on June 23, 2010 a group of lawmakers were planning to visit the area to review Cambodia-Viet posts no. 125, 126, 127 and 128 to make sure it was true as informed by the villagers or not.

As a result of the trip, 2 new border markers have been stood in Cambodia land. Mrs. Thak Lany, also opposition lawmaker of Sam Rainsy Party, said that she had never seen markers set in the place as they are now, near the villages of Anlong Chrey, Ta Am and Preach Sre.

According to villagers in the location, the new border markers are inside Cambodia about 2 kilometers.

Reacted against the above claim, Var Kimhong, head of the Cambodian border commission, said the new border markers had not given up any land to Vietnam and warned that the opposition need not worry about the loss of territory.

Whereas the Press and Quick Reaction Unit spokesman Tith Sothea replied that what the above lawmakers had been doing was a sabotage action and an incitement on the villagers to fight against the government. He considered that was the tantamount to reaping political gain.

It has been seen that whenever local people, who live along the border with Vietnam, protest against the border markers being planted on their farmland, never Cambodian authority do pay attention and conduct field visit in order to make sure whether or not the problem really takes place. They always deny the case has happened. Instead, when opposition lawmakers and villagers complain or protest against the act, the government tends to accuse them of incitement, arrest them and send to prison.

As mentioned in the Constitutional Law of Cambodia, the territorial integrity is not subjected to be infringed by any neighboring country at all. In general, it is known that Cambodian people majorly rely on farmland to make a living. In case their land were encroached, then their rights to life and economy must be violated.