2 Vietnameses seized, 2 Cambodians killed (2004-Jul-05)          Koh Santepheap : Among three Cambodian fishermen disappeared at sea on last june 30, one was found dead afloat, thus confirmed they was struck while fishing around Koh Kareang in Khmer territorial waters. Previous report said two of the three were gunned down and the third was taken into custody by Vietnamese Navy based in Koh Trall (Phu Quoc) opposite to Kep city. The cause of this incident was not yet known, and officials in Kep neither dare give precise informations about that. Koh Santepheap's reporters have more precisions on the killing of Cambodian fishermen:

the families sailed out searching and had been told by a group of fishermen at sea that in the evening of June 28, around 10 p.m., the latters had heard several fire arm shots from the neighbourhood of Koh Kareang. They didn't know what the shots aimed at, but they're sure the shots were Vietnamese Navy's. In the morning of June 30, they then discovered near Koh Angkrang a floating body already in decomposition (smelling). The body was identified as of Nhet Chanthan, 21, from Phum Thmei, Prey Thom, Kep. Kep city police and military police have examined the corpse and found three bullet wounds, one blowing up the skull, one in the right rib and one breaking the right arm. The officials presumed the bullets were from automatic weapon. Another victim supposedly dead was Tren Rithy alias Krit, 22, his body was not yet found. The third man, Khieu Thea, has been reported to Kep police by the Vietnamese Navy as being alive and in custody in the province of Qien Giang. A Cambodian military police officer secretly told us that the Vietnamese military did actually shoot at the three men's fishing boat, but the cause of the shooting was not yet known. Kep's authorities are busy with this issue...

Two of its citizen were shot dead and another one was arrested. Up to July 1st, the second body has not yet been discovered and the officials still have no clear statements on that recent and red hot incident. A Kep city clerk said city authorities are appointing a committee to go and discuss with Vietnam's Qien Giang province authorities in order to know the truth. As to the corpse of the known victim, his family has given him a traditional funeral attended by Mr Sam Sarin, third deputy-governor of Kep, who brought a twenty-dollar contribution to the ceremony. Mr Sam Sarin did not elaborate and simply said a report has been forwarded to the upper levels. One had noticed that Vietnamese Navy have shot at Cambodian fishermen twice since 2002, not to mention the number of arrests. On the contrary, our Khmer authorities never dared react violently to the Vietnamese fishing illegally at Cambodian sea.

         N.P. : Koh Santepheap Daily has not drawn the parallel between the two Cambodians killed and the two Vietnameses seized at Koh Kong sea on June 20. The newspaper neither has information on the follow-up of that incident.     <<  Click here to read  >>

LES SIX COMMANDEMENTS

REFORMING OUR BUDDHISM

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