Authorities on Thursday blamed an obscure group of Cambodian expatriates living in the US, called the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, for the rocket attack at the home of Pailin Governor Y Chhien.
“It’s a terrorist attack,” said Chea Chandin, deputy police chief of Pailin. “We have suspects. The reason for the attack is not a personal dispute and it does not have anything to do with what is going on in Pailin.”
Seven to eight men climbed on the fence surrounding Y Chhien’s home around 2:30 am Tuesday and shot one B-40 rocket that landed about 6 meters from the house, authorities said. Y Chhien, a former Khmer Rouge general, was not at home at the time of the attack, and the nine people in the house were not injured.
Chea Chandin and Ieng Vuth, first deputy governor of Pailin, said authorities from military region 5 obtained a document from the Freedom Fighters five days before the attack that said something bad would happen in Pailin. The document allegedly stated that all the rich people in Pailin, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold, should leave and go to Bangkok.
“The document said for people to attack the communists and asked the people of Pailin to join in their movement,” Ieng Vuth said.
The Freedom Fighters is a movement that surfaced about two years ago and was allegedly led by a former member of the Sam Rainsy Party. The group claimed it had operatives along the Thai-Cambodian border.
The Freedom Fighters have said through written statements they will maintain an armed resistance against the Cambodian government as long as Prime Minister Hun Sen remains in power. In January, the group pledged to overthrow the government and accused the ruling CPP of killing innocent Cambodians.
Ek Sam Oun, deputy commander of military region 5, declined to name suspects, but said the Freedom Fighters document was obtained from the Samlot area, which is near the Thai border.
“The Freedom Fighters were making propaganda to gather people from this area to join them,” Ek Sam Oun said. “We regard them as bandits and illegal armed forces.”
Ieng Vuth said authorities have suspects, but declined to name them. He said after Y Chhien, who was staying in an area of Pailin called Prum close to the Thai border, was informed of the attack, he ordered all relevant authorities to investigate and report back to him. “The investigation will be finished in one week and then the result will be known,” Ieng Vuth said.
Authorities say three of Y Chhien’s children were home at the time of the attack, along with six others, including Y Chhien’s relatives and bodyguards. They were awake when the attack occurred, Chea Chandin said. Damage consisted mostly of broken windows.
“It’s very strange that they didn’t shoot the rocket at the house, but shot it at the land in front of the house,” he said.
When the attack occurred, the security guard on duty at Y Chhien’s home had gone to the bathroom, Chea Chandin said.
Police saw the suspects while they were fleeing and fired several shots into the air to stop them, Chea Chandin said. The suspects ran toward the clinic operated by Seng Vicheda, the daughter of former Khmer Rouge deputy prime minister Ieng Sary. The suspects then ran into the jungle and escaped.
“The police were just 20 to 30 meters away from the suspects but it was so dark and they couldn’t see anything,” Chea Chandin said.
Pailin joined the government after thousands of rebels, led by Ieng Sary, joined the government in 1996. In exchange for the defection, Pailin became an autonomous region.
Ieng Sary, who is the father of Ieng Vuth, has a home in Pailin, along with former Khmer Rouge leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan.
