[Background / related]
Squid Inc.
In open seas off the coast of Sihanoukville, Vietnamese fishermen
floating in cane baskets are the bottom rung of a lucrative
squid-fishing racket that extends to the highest echelons of the
Cambodian navy.
We moor half the time at Koh Rong Sanloem and half at Koh Tang,” Mr. Truong said. “It’s as if we are living in Vietnamese territory.”
The Vietnamization of Kampuchea: A New Model of Colonialism (Indochina Report, October 1984)
Part
II: Vietnamization of the Economic Framework (continued)
The
Unequal Exchange
It
is within this new institutional framework that the Vietnamese are asserting their hold over the economy
and future of
Kampuchea. Fisheries, rubber and rice are the three main sectors affected by what should be termed the Unequal
Exchange between Vietnam and Kampuchea.
...
Trial of Vietnamese Fishermen Starts
Khmer Times | 11 October 2016
Four Vietnamese fishermen were tried yesterday by the Phnom Penh
Municipal Court for allegedly crossing the maritime border and illegally
fishing in Koh Kong province in March.\
Vin
Youngnoeuy, 33, Nguyen Youngmi, 32, Choeng Youngco, 34, and Yoeung Thanhay, 41,
were charged with crossing into Cambodia waters without permission and illegal
fishing under article 29 of the Law on Immigration and article 98 of the Law on
Fisheries, according to judge Bun Thy.
“They
came illegally and used illegal fishing devices to catch fish in Cambodian
waters in Koh Kong province,” he said, reading the police report.
“They
caught between 200 and 300 kilograms of fish per day,” he added. “Before their
arrests, they stayed illegally in Cambodian waters and caught fish for more
than 20 days in the Koh Sdach [Gulf of Thailand] area.”
The men were arrested in Koh Kong province’s Kirisakor district on
March 26 and were later transferred to Phnom Penh’s Prey Sar prison where they
were temporarily detained, judge Thy said.
Major
Ly Sovannara, a penal police officer at the Interior Ministry, said the
Vietnamese men were arrested for illegally crossing the maritime border into
Cambodian waters and using illegal fishing devices in Koh Kong province.
“They
illegally crossed the maritime border into Cambodian waters to catch fish in
Koh Kong province and used electric nets to catch fish,” he said.
“They
were arrested while fishing. But another 20 Vietnamese fishermen successfully
escaped back across the maritime border as our police forces were cracking
down.”
He said
that after their arrests, police confiscated two motorboats and illegal fishing
materials from them.
At
yesterday’s trial, the four suspects denied fishing and using illegal fishing
equipment in Cambodian waters, but admitted to illegally entering the Kingdom.
They requested the court release them.
Mr.
Youngnoeuy said he was just a fisherman working for the boat’s owner and was
not aware they had been in Cambodian territory.
“I
admit that I illegally entered Cambodian territory, but I did not fish in
Cambodian waters,” he said. “I would like to ask the court to drop the charge
of illegal fishing and release me.”
According
to the Law on Fisheries, if found guilty, the men face up to five years in
prison. Their verdicts are due on November 10.
Late
last month, Thai authorities detained and later released 55 Cambodian fishermen
for allegedly fishing in Thai waters, however, the fishermen claimed to be
fishing far inside Cambodian territory.
In
Kongchit, a coordinator for rights group Licadho in Koh Kong province, said the
arrests could have been motivated by revenge over Cambodia’s previous crackdown
on Chinese boats in the waters between Thailand and Cambodia.
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