Four Shot Dead; Four Arrested in Thai Territory

Four Cambodians were shot dead Friday, and four others were arrested by Thai soldiers on Saturday while trying to cut down valuable rosewood trees in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province, according to Cambodian officials. Thai soldiers shot and killed the four Cambodians Friday about five km from the border as they were sneaking into Thai territory from Preh Vihear province, said Choam Ksan district governor Sok Hay, citing a Thai border liaison international report released Saturday, The four others were arrested in the same area the next day, Mr hay said, noting that Cambodian councilors are now in talks about the incident with their Thai counterparts. The bodies of the four dead remain in Thailand. He declined to release the names of the dead, citing the sensitive nature of the ongoing discussions. Srey Dek, RCAF commander for Division 3 standbys on first direction at Preah Vihear temple, said it would fall to Preah Vihear provincial governor Oum Mara to work with the Cambodian councilor in Thailand to deal with the any fallout. Hor Nead, a Preah Vihear province monitor for the rights group Adhoc, criticized the actions of the Thai soldiers. They should have arrested the four Cambodians and punished them according to Thai law, Mr Nead said. Extrajudicial killing "is a violation of international law of human rights," he added. "We accept that Cambodians sneaking into Thai territory is wrong, but Thai soldiers shouldn't shoot them like that," Mr Nead said. Preah Vihear provincial spokesman Rath Sophea said that border police had made a concerted effort to stop Cambodians from illegally crossing into Thai territory to harvest rosewood to sell to China. Still and estimated 100 to 140 are able to cross each week, he said. Mr Mara, Preah Vihear provincial governor, could not be reached for comment.