A student examination site in Takeo province erupted in violence Tuesday as a group of youths allegedly tried to steal exam answers and police retaliated. In the worst of the violence, police officers allegedly beat a government official unconscious at the Chea Sim primary school.
“I was hit by a bodyguard of Pall Sann, who is deputy governor in Takeo province,” said Kong Sereivuth, 31, an official for the Takeo provincial education office.
Kong Sereivuth said he was waiting with a friend at a teachers’ training facility near the school’s compound for his brother to finish the examination for the 12th grade, when a group of policemen told them to leave the building
“I replied, ‘Why, why?’ but they blamed me and said I was disobeying their orders and they hit me until I was unconscious,” said Kong Sereivuth, who is now in Takeo province hospital.
Pall Sann said that Kong Sereivuth had incited a mob of youths who were trying to pass exam answers into the school compound. The youths, some of them students, created chaos in the compound, he said.
Several military policemen guarding the compound were injured by stones thrown at them by the youths, Pall Sann said.
Ten youths were arrested for allegedly clashing with the police. They were freed after the exam was finished, officials said.
