A lottery to raise money for the Cambodian Red Cross in Kompong Thom province earlier this month was used to extract money from civil servants, teachers and provincial officials alleged Monday.
Sun Thun, director of the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association in Kompong Thom province, said that teachers were forced to buy lottery tickets or had money involuntarily deducted from their wages to support the Cambodian Red Cross’ provincial branch.
“I myself was forced to buy three lottery tickets,” Sun Thun said.
Contacted by phone on Monday, several teachers in the province, whose notoriously low salaries average about $30 per month, leveled the same allegation about the Red Cross lottery tickets that cost 1,000 riel each.
A Kompong Thom deputy governor, who requested anonymity, said Monday that it was compulsory for civil servants to buy the lottery tickets and it angered many.
“This is only small money but it is difficult for the very poor civil servants to pay,” he said.
The head of the Kompong Thom Red Cross, Nhem Sophay, and Kompong Thom provincial education department Deputy Director Kim Visoth, denied the allegations Monday and said the May 8 lottery was a voluntary fund-raiser to help the poor. Nhem Sophany is the wife of CPP parliamentarian Nguon Nhel who is also second deputy president of the National Assembly.
“So far, I heard that a lot of teachers complained because they wanted to buy more tickets, and they were only allowed to buy three or four,” said Nhem Sophany.
Nhem Sophany said she had only suggested that teachers and civil servants buy the lottery tickets, and denied that they had been forced to participate.
“The lottery was a success,” Nhem Sophany said. She plans to repeat the fund-raiser next year.
But Hean Sok, director of the education department in the province’s Baray district, said that lottery sales were mandatory and money was deducted from the salaries of teachers’ who failed to meet a quota for buying or selling the tickets. “The teachers must be responsible to buy or to sell at least between two to three tickets,” Hean Sok said.
He said that he received orders to ask high school teachers to sell at least three tickets and primary school teachers to sell at least two.
The lottery was set up to aid the Red Cross’ ailing budget, which has been hurt by a lack of donors, said Red Cross provincial development officer Hau Phalla.
“Since donors have stopped their assistance, we don’t have any money,” Hau Phalla said.
She said the Red Cross printed about 100,000 tickets to sell for 1,000 riel each. The lottery grossed more than $23,000 for the Red Cross in the province, she said.
Hau Phalla said the winners announced May 8 were in line to win prizes that included two motorbikes, a television, bicycles, sewing machines and radios.
Sok Pheng, a Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian out of Kompong Thom province, said he had received several complaints from teachers and civil servants who said their salaries were reduced to assist the lottery’s success.
The Cambodian Red Cross is run by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s wife, Bun Rany.
Dr Uy Samath, national director of the Cambodian Red Cross disaster management department, said Monday that the organization was impartial and did not pressure people for donations.
(Additional reporting by Lor Chandara and Luke Reynolds)
