Thailand expels Khmer Krom asylum seekers: rights groups

Friday, 20 March 2009
Written by Brendan Brady and Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

Rights workers say group was trucked out of Thailand after UN officials previously intervened to secure release of others

FOLLOWING the release Monday of 19 Khmer Krom refugees from a Bangkok prison, the seven remaining in detention were abruptly expelled from the country under suspicious circumstances, according to local rights activists.
Ang Chanrith, head of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human Rights Organization, said seven Khmer Krom political refugees were shuttled to the Poipet border crossing in Banteay Meanchey province in the middle of the night Thursday.

The original group of 19 Khmer Krom, who hold refugee documents from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), were released after the UN office petitioned Thai officials to recognise them as legitimate asylum seekers, he said. Ang Chanrith has been working on the case with UN officials in Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

Members of the group released Monday had contacted him early Thursday morning to warn of the departure of the seven left in detention, who were recent arrivals to Bangkok and therefore had not yet been registered with the UNHCR, he said.

"We are concerned they could be taken back to Vietnam," he said.

Escaping the past

Ang Chanrith said all 26 people had fled Vietnam after they feared imprisonment at the hands of authorities there following public demonstrations against limits on their freedom of culture, religion and speech.

Rights groups and Khmer Krom activists have accused the Vietnamese and Cambodian governments of engaging in a persistent and often violent campaign to stifle the rights and distinct identity of the Khmer ethnic group originating from what is now Vietnam's southern Delta.

Hun Hean, provincial police chief of Banteay Meanchey, said he had not heard about the incident, adding that between 100 and 200 illegal Khmer immigrants were turned over by Thai authorities at the border each day.

Suong Sopheap, a program officer with the Cambodian Women's Crisis Centre in Banteay Meanchey, said his staff had attempted to track the whereabouts of the group without success.

"We have staff remaining in Poipet who are continuing to monitor the situation," he said.

Christophe Peschoux, head of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Phnom Penh, said his office was following the case but had not been in contact with the group.

"It's a very tricky situation for Khmer Krom in Cambodia," he said. "Even if the government gives them citizenship, if they agitate from Cambodia it could create tension between the Cambodian and Vietnamese governments; and Cambodia could be pressured to prevent it or hand them over to Vietnamese authorities."

The government has said all Khmer Krom are entitled to Cambodian citizenship, but Khmer Krom activists and rights groups say their status as Cambodians is ambiguous and can be stricken at the whim of the state.

Teachers say PM's claims dubious

Friday, 20 March 2009
Written by Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

At an education summit Wednesday, Hun Sen said he did not have the budget to raise the salaries of teachers; teacher associations say the money could be found if the PM wanted to

TEACHER associations criticised Prime Minister Hun Sen Thursday after he said at an education summit that he could not raise teacher salaries, though he really wanted to.
"I would like to inform you ... those who are in charge of education ... I really want to raise your salaries but our budget is limited," Hun Sen said during concluding remarks at the National Education Congress Wednesday, which was attended by teachers, NGO members and development partners.

"And where should we find the money [to raise salaries]?" he asked, adding that now the world's economy was slowing down, the people who used to have incomes are losing them.

"When a salary is raised, it has to be raised forever," he said.

However, Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association, said the government today would have no problem raising teacher salaries, which he believed should be lifted to 800,000 to 1,000,000 riels (US$200-$250) a month for a suitable living standard.

"I think the government has enough money to raise teachers' salary and would do so if the prime minister wanted to raise teachers' salary to a suitable standard of living," he said.

He said the money could come from tax collecting, eliminating corruption or simply wasting less money on the delegation that usually accompanies the prime minster at such ceremonial events.

"As far as I know, each delegate receives 2,000,000 riels plus expenses on gasoline when they accompany the prime minister to inauguration celebrations or other missions," Rong Chhun said.

He added that Cambodia currently has over 100,000 teachers working throughout the country, and that "93 percent of them have to have another job on top of teaching in order to support their families".

According to the association president, primary school teachers currently get paid 100,000 riels, lower secondary school teachers around 200,000 riels and upper secondary school teachers about 250,000 riels.

A recent report conducted by NGO Education Partnership claimed that 99 percent of them said a teacher's salary alone is not enough for them to live on.

The report stated that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport budget for 2008 was more than twice what it was in 2000: $508,865,000 compared to $209,246,000.

In the same period, teachers starting salaries are anecdotally reported to have increased from $20 since 1999 to $30 today.

"At present, salary levels make it impossible for teachers to afford the basic necessities ... and leave teachers with no other option but to seek other income generating activities," the report stated.

Authorities question hospital staff over Pailin mother's death

Friday, 20 March 2009
Written by MOM KUNTHEAR and CHRANN CHAMROEUN
The Phnom Penh Post

PAILIN police have questioned four obstetricians at the province's public hospital in connection with the death of a pregnant woman Sunday night, according to local human rights group Adhoc, which is assisting the woman's husband.

Vorn Yoeub, 37, died on Sunday night due to complications in labour, reportedly after obstetrics staff refused treatment unless her husband paid US$25 in fees. Her death prompted provincial Governor Y Chhien to order an investigation. The hospital has denied the allegations of negligence.

Adhoc coordinator Chhoun Makara said the provincial prosecutor in neighbouring Battambang province, which hears court cases for both provinces, instructed police in Pailin to interview hospital staff.

"I cannot assess what the result will be because the case is currently in the hands of the court prosecutor," he said.

"The victim's husband is not yet sure whether he will complain to the court - he simply asked us to help him find the reason why [hospital staff] refused to treat his wife."

Chhoun Makara said there were concerns that doctors and obstetricians at the hospital were more concerned about getting paid the health service fee than taking care of patients.

"I don't know if that's because they receive low salaries, but we need the Ministry of Health to examine this problem," he said.

"And if the court doesn't seriously investigate and find out why treatment wasn't free, then it will be a waste of time."

Charges denied

The hospital's head of obstetrics, Luy Chantha, confirmed that the police had questioned her and three staff, and said she would rely on the hospital director to assist them in the event of a trial.

"They said we must tell the truth, but I don't know what to tell them. We didn't ask the couple for money and we gave them our best attention," she said.

"We didn't act in the way the husband said and we always help people, especially the poor. So I don't know how to answer this."

Battambang court prosecutor Koy Chanya said that he was still waiting on the police report and would make a decision once he received it.