A major road in Mondolkiri province was blocked for four hours Thursday morning after a group of van drivers surrounded a Forestry Administration vehicle in a tense standoff, a district official said.
San Sun Ieth, deputy governor of Keo Seima district, said the impasse came after a Forestry Administration official gave chase to a van whose driver, Sok Borey, 36, had refused to allow an inspection of his vehicle.
He also said 10 other van drivers had since filed a complaint with district authorities against the official, Heng Chetra, chief of the Forestry Administration’s Sen Monorom division, accusing him of ongoing extortion.
Mr. Sun Ieth said Mr. Borey had been transporting furniture to Tbong Khmum province via National Road 76 when he was stopped by the Forestry Administration officials patrolling an area prone to violent altercations between illegal loggers and authorities.
“The forestry officials asked the driver to stop but he ignored them, so they chased him,” he said, adding that about 30 km down the road, “the driver stopped and other vans that he had called surrounded the forestry officials.”
“It seems that they have been angry for a long time,” he added.
Mr. Sun Ieth said more than 60 cars were backed up while the van drivers attempted to negotiate with the Forestry Administration officials, but that the officials refused to even roll down their car window. He said both sides left the scene after the van drivers decided to file their complaint.
Mr. Borey said the chase began after he refused to pay Mr. Chetra more than the usual “tip” he hands over each time he transports cargo out of Mondolkiri’s Sen Monorom City.
“I gave him $10 before leaving Mondolkiri, but he said he wanted more money from the owner of the furniture shop,” he said.
“We blocked him because we want to send him a message to stop extorting us randomly,” he added. “Anyway, I gave him a tip, why does he need to ask for more?”
