Lawmakers, Others in Border Brawl With Vietnamese

Opposition lawmaker Real Camerin and about 10 others were reportedly attacked by Vietnamese civilians Sunday during a failed attempt to visit a disputed border marker in Svay Rieng province, according to witnesses and a local police chief.

Mr. Camerin was hoping to visit marker No. 203 with about 300 locals, monks and youth activists amid a recent upsurge of anger against Vietnam’s alleged attempts to encroach on Cambodian land along the border, much of which has yet to be finalized.

“There were about 100 Vietnamese including police, soldiers and other people who blocked us from going to see border marker 203,” said Tep Narin, an assistant to Mr. Camerin who witnessed the incident.

“[The civilians] used wooden sticks to hit Real Camerin on the back and push him, and they used their hands and sticks to beat other people.”

Soeung Saroun said he was caught up in the melee and saw Mr. Camerin being pushed around. Mr. Camerin could not be reached.

Kompong Ro district police chief Hem Samuth confirmed that there was a brief scuffle between a few hundred Cambodians and Vietnamese at the scene, but declined to comment further.

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