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The Ratanakiri Provincial Court has summoned eight villagers, including six Bunong indigenous people, to give a statement over the torching of the Sre Chrey sub-ranger station in Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary, following the death of a woman during a crackdown on small-scale gold mining.
A court prosecutor issued the summons on September 18 ordering Koeun Channa, 31, a Bunong man from Roya village and commune in Koh Nhek district, Mondulkiri province, among others to appear in court on October 20 to give a statement on the September 26 incident.
Channa, one of the eight villagers summoned, said he and other villagers did not plan to burn down the environmental office. He said they had gone there to find a solution to the death of the woman but became angry when environmental officers avoided meeting them.
The authorities initially told villagers that the matter would not be pursued further, he recalled. However, he said, the court has now summoned them to give an answer to the incident, while “no one has been held accountable for the woman’s death”.
He called on environmental officials and the Environment Ministry to reconsider the case, as the villagers had not intended to destroy state property. He also expressed concern for their safety and livelihood, saying that their financial circumstances were already difficult and being summoned to court would add to their economic burden.
“If no villager had died, we would not have become so angry. At the time, we wanted to resolve the matter and seek compensation for the deceased woman’s family. The authorities told us to end the matter there, but nothing was put in writing. This is frustrating for the villagers, as the case should have ended there,” he said.
Recall that on September 6, a group of villagers burned down the sub-ranger station after 19-year-old Salieng Savin, an Indigenous woman, died suddenly near the gold mining site. Villagers accused environmental officers of “frightening” her during the crackdown on small-scale gold mining, but authorities denied any connection between her death and their intervention.
Roya commune resident Bun Thoeun described similar circumstances surrounding the burning of the sub-ranger station. He said no individual or organized group directed villagers to set fire to the building. Instead, he said, they had gone to ask why a woman died during an operation by park rangers against villagers engaged in gold mining.
The officers did not come out to discuss the matter but fled, causing villagers to become angry, which led to the incident.
“We went there to talk and find a solution, but they were not there because they had run away. The aggrieved villagers could not accept that, so they collectively agreed to burn down the station,” he said.
Salieng Thon, the brother of the woman who died, said no one had taken responsibility for his sister’s death, although authorities contributed some money toward funeral expenses. He said he was deeply saddened by her loss and urged officials not to pursue the case against the villagers.
“They [officials] contributed only a small amount to the funeral. As for summoning the villagers, I think that if the matter has been settled, officials should not punish the villagers,” he said.
Koh Nhek district governor Sei Touch told CamboJA News that authorities routinely educate villagers and advise them to stop mining activities. However, if illegal activities occur, agencies must follow legal procedures, he said, adding that other institutions cannot intervene in those proceedings.
Authorities cannot prevent or intervene in every incident, he said, but they try to mediate, provide guidance and prevent villagers from breaking the law or damaging public property.
“If villagers make a mistake unintentionally or through negligence and acknowledge their wrongdoing, authorities always try to mediate and offer advice. However, the case must still be reviewed in accordance with the procedures of the relevant authorities,” he said.
Touch said the woman’s death is subject to an investigation and legal procedures by the relevant authorities, which must rely on clear evidence. District authorities cannot draw conclusions on their behalf, he said, adding that the case falls under the jurisdiction of Ratanakiri provincial authorities given the location and circumstances.
Ratanakiri Environment Department director Phorn Khemrin mentioned that the case is in court now but denied that environmental officials had filed a complaint against villagers. The complaint targeted only individuals who committed an offence, he said.
In commenting on the case, he asked how the incident should be viewed “when people allegedly broke the law and mobilized others to burn down a government office”. The department does not want to “debate” the matter further and would leave the decision to the court, he said.
“We are proceeding with the court process against those who broke the law. We have not filed a complaint against the villagers,” he said.
Asked who should be held responsible for the woman’s death, Khemrin said it was a separate case and should not be included in the burning of the station.
“People are generally putting forth their own reasons, but I will not debate the matter. We will leave it to the court to take action,” he said.
A statement posted on Bunong’s Voice’s Facebook page said the incident reflected the difficult living conditions of villagers struggling with poverty, debt and a lack of resources to support their families. It said villagers had turned to traditional gold mining within their community to earn income, feed their children and repay mounting debts.
The incident ended in tragedy with the death of a young woman who was pregnant, the group said, describing her death as a devastating loss for her family and a lingering sadness for the community.
“We call for a broad and careful consideration of the cause and circumstances that led to this incident,” the statement said.
The group said the law played an important role in maintaining order and justice, but that humanity should also guide leaders’ decisions. It questioned whether a solution could be found without adding to the burden on villagers already struggling with bereavement, poverty, debt and legal proceedings.
Bunong’s Voice added that the most valuable decisions by leaders were not limited to punishing wrongdoing, but also involved finding solutions that could ease suffering, reduce conflict and allow people to return to peaceful community life.
In August 2023, a similar incident occurred when more than 300 Kraol Indigenous villagers in Srae Chis commune, Kratie province, set fire to an Environment Ministry station after years of strained relations with officials. The protest followed reports that the Sor Sor Sdom Sat Tao protected area would be expanded by 4,500 hectares. No arrests were made at the time.