Local tourists (left) use binoculars to look out over the cliff at Preah Vihear temple toward a Thai military camp near the Thai-Cambodian border during the Khmer New Year holiday. Photo by Scott Howes

Preah Vihear province

Above the din of military trucks and SUVs rolling past on their way to Preah Vihear temple, off-duty police merrily clanking beer cans shout: “Kampuchea! Preah Vihear!”
Outside the restaurants, however, a quiet tension is brewing as the International Court of Justice this week hears rival claims from Cambodia and Thailand to disputed land surrounding the temple in a case many here fear could reignite vicious military clashes. 

Opportunistic small-business owners such as 30-year-old Pich Tong have bet their fortunes on a tourism boom in the nearby town of Sra Em, the final gateway to the 11th-century Hindu temple.

During the recent years of peace, the gamble has paid off, but Tong and others are only too aware how quickly this could change.  
“People here are worried the fighting would start again like in 2011 and 2008. If Cambodians and Thais start fighting, no tourists will come,” he said. 

“The government should discuss with the Thai government about the matter – there should be no more fighting.”

Dozens of soldiers were killed and tens of thousands left displaced when tensions flared in 2011. However, the tourist dollars have begun flowing in since the fragile peace deal that was brokered to end the standoff. 

Like many others in Sra Em, Tong, a former tuk-tuk driver from Siem Reap, has watched the restaurant he set up with his wife and daughter in 2012 flourish into a lucrative venture. 

Tourist and border police captain Chan Dara, 38, said that during the Khmer New Year holiday, about 2,000 domestic tourists were expected to journey to the temple up the 525-metre cliff lined with armed personnel that leads to its entrance.

“We still have to protect our border and the tourists,” Dara said. 

Tourist arrivals to the temple skyrocketed by 79 per cent last year, with almost 100,000 visitors coming to marvel at the Angkorian ruins, according to statistics from the Preah Vihear provincial tourism department. 

Like Tong, the Cambodian government is looking to capitalise on the booming interest in the temple, which has grown sharply since it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said plans are in the works to recreate an ancient Angkorian-era highway connecting Preah Vihear to that other great jewel of the once mighty Khmer empire, Angkor Wat, and beyond.

“Tourists from Laos would be able to visit Preah Vihear and reach Siem Reap easily with the new highway,” Khon said.

The highway would stretch all the way up to Wat Phu, a famous Khmer temple in Laos, he added.

These plans, Khon said, are central to the government’s strategy of lifting the economically struggling province out of poverty. 

“We don’t have many hotels and resort accommodation in Preah Vihear yet, but in the next few years, there will be a lot more.”

But even the humble foundations of tourism that have already been laid in Sra Em and at the temple itself represent remarkable development, said archaeologist Professor Thuy Chanthourn, who has studied the temple for more than a decade. 

“In 1997, there was nothing, no market, no town, just the temple and landmines,” he said. 

This emerging prosperity in Preah Vihear hinges on the maintenance of a fragile peace that was brokered midway through 2011, ending fierce clashes and leading the Cambodian government to call for the ICJ to intervene. 

Despite the détente, the dispute over a 4.6-square-kilometre area surrounding the temple has remained a powerful lever primarily harnessed by Thai opposition Democrat Party-aligned “Yellow Shirts” for nationalistic traction.

Just last week, Yellow Shirts massed on the Thai side of the border protesting Cambodia’s claim to the land, while others have called on the Thai government to reject the ICJ’s ruling if it turns out unfavourable.

Chanthourn worries that if the ICJ rules in Cambodia’s favour, the Yellow Shirts’ rumblings could spark a fresh conflict that would not only derail tourism development at the temple but could result in damage to – or even collapse of – the ruins. 

Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun, from Kyoto University’s Centre for South East Asian Studies and a former Thai diplomat, said the ICJ’s decision was a near foregone conclusion and that could spell trouble.   

“The level of confidence [in Cambodia] has been really high, since Cambodia is the rightful owner of the temple – logically speaking, you cannot just have the temple; the land around it would belong to you as well.”

While Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was “in a unique position to be able to control the situation” having significantly improved relations with Cambodia, Pavin warned that she may not be able to control Yellow Shirts backed by elements of the armed forces. 

For his part, Prime Minister Hun Sen has been doing his best to ensure that Cambodians resist any provocations, last week calling on the public and armed forces to “keep cool during the oral [ICJ] hearings”.

Speculation over whether or not the two increasingly friendly governments will be able to keep a lid on ultra-nationalistic sentiment during the court rulings remains fierce, but Minister of Tourism Khon is not riled.  

“We have no problem. Preah Vihear has belonged to us for a long time.”

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Bus scare brings lesson in a spirit of generosity

Khmer New Year falls around mid-April, and every year the people who live in Phnom Penh leave the city to their home provinces or get out of town to celebrate the three-day holiday. This year my girlfriends and I decided to take a trip to Siem Reap, the province where the Angkor Temples are located, about 315 kilometres from Phnom Penh.

We chose to go on the Giant Ibis Transport, an affordable luxury bus in Cambodia, catering to passengers since 2012. With destinations to Siem Reap and Kampot, the Giant Ibis Bus has deluxe leather seats, air conditioner, complimentary snacks and water, and exceptional customer service. A round trip ticket from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is only $26.

Traffic was horrific getting out of Phnom Penh the day before Khmer New Year, and our bus driver, Sitha, was very patient. National Road 4, which is a one lane road, turned into a three-lane road, as cars, motorbikes and tuk-tuks tried to cut in front of each other. The Giant Ibis Bus had no control of the other vehicles cutting in front of it. Then a pickup truck, filled up with over a dozen people, and stacked with four motorcycles, sideswiped the bus, as it cut in front of us. 

Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death in Cambodia. Speeding and drunk driving are the main causes, and motorbikes are the most common vehicle involved in traffic accidents. The traffic laws in Cambodia are not regularly enforced, and corruption in the police system exists in Cambodia. In other developing countries, the corruption is better hidden.

Sitha stopped the bus and stepped out to see the damage that had been done to the Giant Ibis. A long scratch mark and dent, caused by a motorcycle on the truck, was across the right side of the bus, close to the door. The bus driver could only hope the police were there to arrest the driver. Instead, a small fee was given to Sitha, by the truck driver, and both went their separate ways. Luckily, nobody was hurt.

We stopped at Kampong Thom for lunch, a province halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. As the passengers were eating, I chatted with the assistant of the bus and Sitha. I asked about the minor accident earlier. Sitha showed me the damaged area and said he would have to pay for it as he is responsible for the bus. “The truck driver only had $30, and that’s all they can afford to give me”, stated Sitha.

I asked if it was OK to donate money and help him pay for the damage. Sitha and his assistant were speechless, but declined the offer. I asked again, but this time if my friends and I can help chip in to pay for it. Again, they declined. 

As we got back on the bus I asked to use the microphone to speak to the passengers. Sitha and his assistant agreed. I briefly explained what happened earlier. Without any hesitation, the passengers voluntarily chipped in to help. This is what the goodness of the human spirit is all about; helping those in need. There is nothing equal to human caring and human will. Thank you to all the passengers for their generosity.

I hope everybody had a wonderful and safe Khmer New Year.

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Tycoon turns wanted son in to court

A well-known property tycoon whose son is wanted in court turned him in yesterday on the advice of the chief of municipal police, according to officials.

Oknha Duong Ngiep arrived at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday afternoon with his 20-year-old son, Duong Chhay, accompanied by Choun Sovann, the city’s Municipal Police chief, said Phnom Penh Municipal Court president Chiv Keng.

Chhay is wanted by the court for allegedly causing injury, possessing illegal weapons and destroying private property. His brother, 17-year-old Duong Kimlong, was arrested Sunday on the same accusations.

Last Friday, the brothers were celebrating the Khmer New Year with friends at a restaurant in the Chamkarmon district when the group got into an argument with another group of six youths, said Ya Kim Y, Phnom Penh Municipal Military Police commander.

The argument escalated into fisticuffs, and in the heated exchange, Kimlong took out a concealed pistol he was carrying and pistol-whipped a 28-year-old man with whom he was fighting, added Kim Y.

“The attack caused him to be seriously injured,” Kim Y said of the victim. “After that, [Kimlong] threatened to shoot [the victim’s other friends] when they tried to come to his aid.”

The group then made a quick getaway in their luxury cars, he added, but not before they smashed plates, dishes and other furniture in the restaurant. 

Police found and arrested Kimlong, along with his bodyguard Ly Rayuth, 20, at a condominium unit owned by his father in the Chamkarmon district two days later. They also confiscated two pistols, an AK-47 assault rifle and some ammunition.

Both Kimlong and Chhay were charged yesterday with causing injury, possessing illegal weapons and destroying private property. 

Kimlong was sent to Prey Sar prison pending his trial, while Chhay spent the night at the police headquarters in Russey Keo district for further questioning today, said court president Keng.

Keng declined to comment as to whether Chhay would eventually join his brother at Prey Sar prison pending their trial.

At least two other suspects – known only as Sna and Mab, and believed to be the brothers’ drivers – are also wanted in connection with the case, said an officer at the municipal court who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Nach Try, the defence lawyer for the brothers, declined to comment, claiming that he had not yet read the court’s charges against his clients or completed his own research and investigation into the case.

Meanwhile, both Keng and Kim Y were all praises for Ngiep’s uncompromising parenting methods.

“[Turning his son in] was a good deed. Every father has to educate their children to be good  people and to respect the rule of law in our country,” said Keng.

Kim Y called Ngiep a good role model and said this was proof that connections and wealth were no protection against wrongdoing.

“This sends a message to other tycoons, rich people and other high-ranking government officials that their children have to abide by the law,” Kim Y said.

The Duong family could not be reached for comment yesterday.

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The forgotten massacre Killing Fields in Vietnam recalled by few

Brushing the silver and black strands of hair back across the left side of her forehead, Ha Thi Nga exposes a light scar about an inch long. Her hand moves down to a fold of skin on her neck where she touches another mark left   from a bullet wound.

She’s sitting outside her tiny roadside shop in Vietnam’s Ba Chuc commune, just over the southeast border of Cambodia’s Takeo province, and telling of how she – and just a handful of others – survived a 12-day massacre.

Yesterday marked the 35th anniversary of the Ba Chuc killings, which started on the that date in 1978 and lasted nearly two weeks. In this green and mountainous patch of the Mekong Delta, Khmer Rouge forces slaughtered at least 3,000 people.  

“They shot my children dead one by one. My youngest, a two-year-old girl, was beaten three times but did not die, so they slammed her against a wall until she was dead,” Nga said.  

Her husband was also shot and killed. When a bullet didn’t end her life, soldiers bashed her with a stone on her head and left her to die. She crawled to a nearby mountain and hid out until the attack was over.

“I survived without eating for 12 days,” she said. 

Little talked about in Cambodia, the Ba Chuc massacre was one of, if not the, worst atrocities the Khmer Rouge, in their reign from 1975 to 1979, committed against the Vietnamese and ethnic Khmers living in the same area. 

The Vietnamese, according to researchers, were fed up after similar shows of force in preceding months. They soon moved on Cambodia and captured Phnom Penh on January 7, 1979. 

While a prison warden and senior Khmer Rouge leaders were put on trial for what happened during Democratic Kampuchea, when about a quarter of the population was killed in an attempt to remake Cambodia and start from “Year Zero”, it’s unclear if anyone will ever answer for Ba Chuc.

Lyma Nguyen, a civil party lawyer at the Khmer Rouge tribunal, said the judicially investigated scope of genocide against ethnic Vietnamese (as charged against Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, the late Ieng Sary and his unfit-to-stand-trial wife, Ieng Thirith, in the current Case 002) included “incursions into Vietnam”, which would - in theory - contain Ba Chuc.

But given widespread doubts that the case will proceed beyond its first mini-trial, which focuses largely on forced population transfer, “it is most unlikely that trial proceedings in Case 002 will reach a stage where evidence of attacks against ethnic Vietnamese civilians on what is now accepted as Vietnamese territory, will be heard,” she said. 

What most who have looked at the Ba Chuc massacre agree on is that it was incited by a speech given on the third anniversary of the Khmer Rouge reign by none other than the head of the movement, Pol Pot, who bragged about cleansing “Kampuchea” of the Vietnamese, using the derogatory word “Yuon” to refer to them. 

“They wanted to take Kampuchea; they wanted to swallow up Kampuchea easily. Could they? They could not,” he said in the speech. 

“And now, how about the Yuon? There are no Yuon in Kampuchean territory.

“Formerly, there were nearly one million of them. Now there is not one seed of them to be found.”

Although Vietnamese communist forces had helped the Khmer Rouge in the beginn-ing, diplomatic relations worsened as both the troops of Lon Nol, who overthrew then-Prince Norodom Sihanouk in a 1970 coup, and Pol Pot, who effectively replaced Lon Nol in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge rose to power, carried out acts of ethnic cleansing and murder against them.

According to a former Vietnamese diplomat posted in Cambodia, from 1970 to 1975, “the Pol Pot clique caused 174 incidents, killing 301 of us, wounding 233 and causing 38 to go missing,” he wrote in a paper exploring relations between the two countries.

The Pol Pot speech in 1978, then, was par for the course. Dripping with anti-Vietnamese invective, it acted as a subtle call to arms.

“It was a hate speech where he truly believed that it was ‘hate’ that made the Khmer Rouge strong. And it led to the attacks blindly,” Youk Chhang, executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, said. 

Rich Arant, a former trans-lator at the Khmer Rouge tribunal who has done research on Ba Chuc, said in an email that “the occurrence of this massacre immediately after Pol Pot’s speech on the third anniversary of his regime was more than coincidence and stands as evidence of genocidal intent.” 

“In the eyes of Vietnamese military veterans, Ba Chuc was the final straw that justified their action to remove the Democratic Kampuchea regime.”

As an attack, it was brutal and terrifying. Khmer Rouge soldiers who didn’t have guns stabbed victims with bamboo sticks. They killed 40 people by throwing grenades into the crawl space of nearby temple, where the fleeing had attemp-ted to hide. 

Choeng Van Eang, a 53-year-old motodup, heard gunfire and escaped to a safer place about 50 kilometres away to wait it out.

He was 18 at the time, and later heard stories about vill-agers trying to conceal themselves in the mountain overlooking Ba Chuc.  

“When children cried, parents covered their faces until they suffocated, so that soldiers could not find them,” Van Eang said.

After returning, he said, Vietnamese forces had launched a counter-attack and killed some of the marauding soldiers.  “We saw the corpses of Pol Pot soldiers in the canal. Fish were eating them.”  

After nearly dying of her bullet wound and hunger, Nga came down from the mountain and found a doctor, who said she was incredibly lucky to be alive.

She stayed on in Ba Chuc, where the Vietnamese authorities have constructed a memorial and built a museum with historical photos.

A concrete structure with a flat roof held up by four columns, the memorial displays the bones and skulls of the victims behind glass, similar to the Killing Fields stupa outside  Phnom Penh.

The other similarity is that it has become a tourist site.

On the anniversary of the attacks, Vietnamese visitors milled about the grounds. Buses pulled in carrying more, while vendors sold trinkets and snacks.

Across the street, Nga sat outside her drink stand, bought with money Vietnamese tourists donated to her.

Her fellow survivors have died, and anyone with quest-ions about Ba Chuc usually finds their way to her stand. She obliges.

As for justice, compensat-ion or recognition of a meaningful kind, too many years have passed for Nga to care.

“I’m old now, and I do not want to take revenge on Pol Pot or Cambodia,” she said. 

Every year, Nga prays for her children, her husband and all the other dead, hoping that they can live in a peaceful place. 

“I have been living alone and selling drinks like this, so that I do forget it from time to time,” she said.

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