Rubber trees grow on a plantation in Kampong Cham’s Memot district in September. Photo by: Sebastian Strangio
via CAAI
Tuesday, 21 December 2010 15:01 Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
A 31-YEAR-OLD man was shot and seriously injured by a security guard after allegedly breaking into Long Sreng rubber plantation in Kampong Cham province to steal rubber sap.
Police said the man, along with his 36-year-old accomplice, entered the company’s property in Stung Trang district’s O’Mlou commune on their motorbikes.
They were surprised by a group of security guards who fired on the fleeing men, wounding one seriously and eventually detaining the other.
Sam Chanthan, chief of the O’Mlou commune police post, said he did not approve of the guards’ action.
“Even though the two men broke into the company’s rubber plantation illegally, the shooting wasn’t justified,” he said. “This is a case of attempted murder for which the perpetrator will be arrested.”
The security guard who fired the shot has fled and is currently on the run from the authorities.
“We are working hard to find him, and also cooperating with other concerned authorities to bring him to court,” Sam Chanthan said.
The victim of the shooting was sent to Kampong Cham provincial hospital for treatment.
He and his accomplice also face charges of trespassing on the Long Sreng Rubber Plantation’s land.
When contacted yesterday, Neang Savath, the provincial coordinator for local rights group Adhoc, strongly condemned the shooting.
“I regard this as a very serious case and appeal to the competent authorities to bring the offender to justice as soon as possible, so that this kind of cruel culture can be combated,” he said.
Neang Savath added that his organisation would be actively involved in further investigations into the incident.
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