Cambodia News, (Phnom Penh): A soldier committed suicide because there was no solution to a case when the 5th mobile customs area stopped his vehicle that he used for the 503rd border guard unit. The Lieutenant Seng Sothearent, the deputy commander in the 5th military zone, had a question: " is this a mistake of border guard unit 503rd or the mistake of the 5th mobile customs brigade ?"

On this issue, Lieutenant Seng Thearen, had illuminated on social media that the Lieutenant Neang Rethchai, had had a car accident. He had sorted out the problem and taken his Vigo 2013 car for repair. He didn't have money, so he borrowed someone's money for his car repair.
Then driving back to the unit, his car got stopped by the 5th mobile customs brigade and he was asked for more money for his car. The chief commander of the 503rd border guard unit requested that they sort out the problem in a reasonable manner, but there was no solution. So then, Lieutenant Neang Rethchai decided to commit suicide on February 10, 2021. Seng Thearen, the lieutenant, explained that tax collection is necessary for the customs office in order to provide revenue to the nation, but in this case, the customs officer was remarkably strict because the victim's car was too old.

UPDATE
Soldier Dies by Suicide After Car, Bought With Debt, Confiscated
1 min read
Ket Eyean
Wed Feb 17, 2021 5:17 pm

The finance and defense ministries are looking into the case of a Banteay Meanchey province soldier who died by suicide after his car, which he used for work, and which put him thousands of dollars in debt, was confiscated by the customs and excise department.

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces spokesman Mao Phalla said on Monday that the man, Neang Rithy Chhay, paid for the car himself but used it for work and had a military license plate for it.

But the license plate had been removed during repairs after an accident, and it was confiscated by a mobile customs unit while being driven without the plate, according to Phalla and a family member.

“He was disappointed because he had used his money to buy the car,” Phalla said. Local news published photos online of a green Toyota pickup truck.

Region 5 commander Chhun Mao said it was not just his money, but also his parents’. They had sold land and borrowed money for the car, Mao said.

According to an Army letter to the customs and excise department requesting the car’s return, the car had been confiscated since November.
https://vodenglish.news/soldier-dies-by ... nfiscated/