phnom voar, Kep municipality – Disbelief was quickly followed by anger on Saturday morning among former Khmer Rouge members living in Phnom Voar over the Appeals Court of Phnom Penh sentence of life in prison for their former commander Chhouk Rin.
Locals traded news of the verdict in a small wooden coffee shop near Chhouk Rin’s farm while supporters talked over plans to protest Friday’s court ruling.
Chhouk Rin is a popular figure among many Phnom Voar residents and his life sentence for the 1994 train ambush and killing of 13 Cambodians and three Western hostages is regarded widely here as unjust.
Chhouk Rin is an innocent man, say locals who warn they will use whatever means possible—within the law—to keep him out of prison.
“The people do not agree…. We have the right to protest,” said former rebel Srei Sam 55, who credits Chhouk Rin with ending their decades of fierce fighting with the government and developing the area since 1994.
“If he did something wrong people would not protect him. People here know he is innocent, so we are not afraid to protest,” he said.
“Without Chhouk Rin, the roads will disappear. The land grabbing will increase, nobody will be able to control [it]. Thieves will turn up and start to rob people. No one will have respect,” he said.
The appeals court said on Friday Chhouk Rin was guilty of terrorism because his troops took part in the train ambush which led to the kidnapping and execution of Australian David Wilson, 29, Briton Mark Slater, 28, and Frenchman Jean-Michel Braquet, 27.
But Chhouk Rin’s supporters had already begun their efforts to challenge that verdict on Saturday.
Srei Sam said he had placed his thumbprint, along with hundreds of others living in these jungle hills, on a petition that states Chhouk Rin had nothing to do with the train attack.
Protests for Chhouk Rin’s acquittal will stay within the law, but the government must allow them the right to demonstrate, several residents said.
“We will do by the law. No one will go into the jungle. We do not fight anymore” said Srei Sam
“But if [the government] wants to kill us all they can, and they can bury us in one hole, because we are not afraid to protest. Chhouk Rin is a good person,” he said.
Touch Chrib, 28, said she joined protesters when Chhouk Rin was brought to trial in Phnom Penh—and acquitted—two years ago, and she is getting ready to do so again.
Hundreds of locals boarded trucks in 2000 to drive to Phnom Penh but were stopped by military police in Kampot town who allowed only people summoned by the court to proceed to the capital
This time, nothing will stop Phnom Voar residents if they decide to bring their protests to Phnom Penh, Touch Chrib said.
“I will go again. But next time many more people will go. If they stop our trucks we will go by motorcycle or train. If we don’t have money to make the trip we will sell our chickens and baby cows,” she said.
“We know [Chhouk Rin] did nothing wrong and we have freedom and the right to protest.”
Former rebel fighter Long Kab, 54, said the news of Chhouk Rin’s conviction had kept him awake all Friday night and he had risen early Saturday morning to discuss options to protect his former commander from jail.
“People will stand up,” Long Kab said.
“We will protest to the appeals court. If the case goes to the Supreme Court we will protest to the King. We will pack rice and food and go and sleep in front of the Royal Palace,” he said.
Long Kab and several others said they had not seen Chhouk Rin in several days and while he is understood to be in Phnom Voar, villagers said they did not know his exact whereabouts.
Chhouk Rin’s farm house was empty on Saturday and unlike the days before his trial last month, he could not be contacted by telephone.
“Chhouk Rin is being careful,” said Ouch Nuon, a long-time friend.
“We don’t want to hide forever. But we must wait and see what happens,” he said.
Court officials said on Friday that Chhouk Rin cannot be arrested for 75 days, a period of time set aside to allow challenges to the verdict or an appeal to the Supreme Court.
But with feeling running high, locals fear a showdown if police or military police are sent to Phnom Voar to arrest Chhouk Rin, said Ouch Nuon.
“It is quiet here now. If they send the military here it could cause a problem. It would inflame the problem,” he said.
Villager Pat Sayun questioned the quality of the court. “I want to ask how this is justice,” he said. “People here know he was not involved.”
Kampot Governor Puth Chandarith said he had received no information about an arrest.
“We don’t know what the situation is,” said Puth Chandarith, but he added that Chhouk Rin’s supporters should keep protests firmly within the law.
“If everyone [in Phnom Voar] says he is not guilty they should do this by the legal way,” he said.
The verdict proves to former Khmer Rouge soldiers that they should not have trusted the government’s promise to allow them to live peacefully if they surrendered, said Phnom Voar resident You Yi, 53.
“Chhouk Rin was an example to us to end the war. But now that we have returned to the government this happens. In Khmer we say: ‘we don’t drown in the deep water, we drown in the shallow water,’” said You Yi.
