‘Cambodian skulls on sticks'

Press, 13 June 1977, Page 8

‘Cambodian skulls on sticks'

irtZPA-Reuter Bangkok j The bodies of more than ;50 Cambodian villagers, bedieved to have been killed bv Cambodian soldiers when [trying to flee into Thailand have been found along the .Thai-Cambodian border the Thai border police head ’quarters in Bangkok has 'said.. The police said thai skulls had also been found stuck on ’sticks along the border in the Aranyaprathet district of the province of Prachin Buri. 21" Ikm east of Bangkok There I was no indication of when [they were killed. The police in Aranyapra Ithet said that the bod es .if Ithe villagers were decom [posed. 1 One Cambodian refugee itold the police that the killings had been carried out as [a warning to other villagers [thinking about escaping. i An average of one or two Cambodian refugees flee their homeland to Thailand every- day. the police said About 11.009 Cambodian re fugees are living in camps [in Thailand. The Bangkok Government |would launch next week a [drive against communist insurgents in three provinces 'of southern Thailand, a miliItary spokesman said vester Idav. I The spoKesman said that the short operation would [try to root out insurgents flushed out of the jungles in recent Government drives who had entered some villages. / In other insurgent activities. two Thai village volunteers were shot and killed in an ambush in northern Thailand on Saturday, the border police headquarters in Bang kok said.