Tea Banh: We did all these things, but we were ordered to do it, we have no choice.jpg)
23 September 2009
By Khim Sarang
Source: Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata for KI-Media
Click here to read the article in Khmer
Vice-PM Tea Banh, the Cambodian minister of Defense, said that armed forces were the first groups that received human rights education, and these troops are under strict army law and rules.
Tea Banh explained that, regarding photos showing armed soldiers using force to repress unarmed civilians, these actions were taken by order from the court only and it was not the soldiers’ choice.
Tea Banh gave his answers to RFA and VOA Khmer services on Tuesday morning, following his meeting with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and James Steinberg, the US Deputy Secretary of State.
Tea Banh said: “Armed forces, whether they are soldiers, police officers or military police officers, we consider them as tools for the application of the law. Therefore, there are cases, there are times when the court verdicts must be applied, and to apply these verdicts efficiently, we cannot find any force other that relying on the armed forces to apply these verdicts.
Therefore, it is certain that, in land dispute cases, when the court tells you to get out, you must get out, but when you don’t get out, the court must use its tools, i.e. the armed forced, to evict you out.”
On 18 September, 8 US representatives sent a list of questions to the US Secretary of Defense, asking him to reply to them to confirm that US military aid to Cambodia does not fall into the hands of Cambodian soldiers who have violated the Cambodian people’s human rights.
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