A suspect waits to be questioned following his arrest Thursday, June 16, 2005, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, following a hostage incident at the Siem Reap International School that left at least one child dead. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)
One Child Dead, Others Rescued in Cambodia
By DANIEL LOVERING, Associated Press Writer
SIEM REAP, Cambodia - Masked gunmen seized dozens of children at an international school Thursday in northwestern Cambodia, killing a 3-year-old Canadian boy and vowing to shoot the others one by one before police rescued the hostages, authorities said.
The attackers stormed Siem Reap International School, grabbed students from several countries, and demanded money, weapons and a vehicle before police ended the six-hour standoff and took four young gunmen into custody.
The attackers shot the boy when authorities refused to meet all of their demands, then "threatened to kill the other children one by one," said Information Minister Khieu Kanharith.
Authorities said they managed to talk the attackers out of the building after giving them a minivan and $30,000 in cash. When the men got into the vehicle with four children, security forces closed the gate to the school compound and launched an assault, yanking the men from the van.
A suspect in the taking of hostages at an international school in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is questioned by police after being arrested Thursday. (AP/David Longstreath)
Nearly 40 children, some as young as 2, rushed past the school gate and into the arms of their panic-stricken parents.
"I'm very relieved," said Tan Seok Ho of Singapore, who rushed to the school when she heard about the crisis from a friend. Her youngest child Levon was among those taken and released unharmed. "I'm happy to have him back in my arms again."
Some parents, meanwhile, grabbed three of the hostage-takers from police and began beating and kicking them, said Prak Chanthoeun, the military commander. "We could barely control the angry crowd," he said.
A Cambodian official rescues a child out of Siem Reap International School where gunmen held a teacher and pupils hostage in Siem Reap, northwestern Cambodia, June 16, 2005. A Canadian child and two gunmen were killed on Thursday as Cambodian troops and police stormed a school in the tourist town of Siem Reap to end a six-hour hostage drama near the Angkor Wat temples, police said. REUTERS/John McDermott
The crisis unfolded at Cambodia's tourism hub of Siem Reap, near its historic Angkor temples — one of the world's most famous archaeological sites. The town is home to many expatriates, and the school killing quickly drew concern from governments around the region. Children from at least 15 nations — including the United States — attend the school.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the yellow schoolhouse during the tense standoff, and three armored personnel carriers were parked on the road.
The identity of the attackers was unclear, even after the standoff ended. Prime Minister Hun Sen said they appeared to be security guards at the school, but police later said teachers did not recognize them.
The men originally took about 70 people but later released 30 of them, Khieu Kanharith said.
They "were armed with shotguns" and demanded money, six AK-47 assault rifles, six shotguns, grenade launchers, hand grenades and a car, said Deputy Military Police Commander Prak Chanthoeum, who said three teachers were among those seized.
Denis Richer, a Frenchman who teaches at another school in Siem Reap, said he tried to comfort the father of the young boy who died. "He was completely lost. He asked me to look for his wife, which I did. I found an ambulance to bring the couple to the clinic."
Police initially said there were six attackers, but later put the number at four. They said the hostage takers were 22 to 25 years old, and were from the southeastern province of Kandal. Witnesses said one of the attackers lay wounded on the ground after the siege had ended.
The children, most of them aged 2 to 6, come from a variety of countries, including the United States, Italy, Japan, Britain and Australia.
A Cambodian official rescues a child out of Siem Reap International School where gunmen held a teacher and pupils hostage in Siem Reap, northwestern Cambodia, June 16, 2005. A Canadian child and two gunmen were killed on Thursday as Cambodian troops and police stormed a school in the tourist town of Siem Reap to end a six-hour hostage drama near the Angkor Wat temples, police said. REUTERS/John McDermott
Khieu Kanharith described the boy who was shot as a 3-year-old Canadian. Embassy officials could not immediately confirm that, but a witness who knew the child also identified him as Canadian.
A suspect lies on the ground outside Siem Reap International School where gunmen held a teacher and pupils hostage in Siem Reap, northwestern Cambodia, June 16, 2005. A Canadian child and two gunmen were killed on Thursday as Cambodian troops and police stormed a school in the tourist town of Siem Reap to end a six-hour hostage drama near the Angkor Wat temples, police said. REUTERS/John McDermott
Cambodian soldiers sit on top of an armoured vehicle in front of Siem Reap International school. A two-year-old Canadian boy was shot dead during a siege at the school where four men took around 30 people hostage, police said.(AFP/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul)
Parents wait with a Cambodian official (2nd L) outside Siem Reap International School where gunmen held a teacher and pupils hostage in Siem Reap, northwestern Cambodia, June 16, 2005. A Canadian child and two gunmen were killed on Thursday as Cambodian troops and police stormed a school in the tourist town of Siem Reap to end a six-hour hostage drama near the Angkor Wat temples, police said. REUTERS/John McDermott
Cambodians are seen in front of the Siem Reap International School where gunmen took a teacher and pupils hostage in Siem Reap, Cambodia, June 16, 2005. A Canadian child and two gunmen were killed on Thursday as Cambodian troops and police stormed a school in the resort town of Siem Reap to end a six-hour siege near the Angkor Wat temples, police said. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom
Cambodian authorities inspect the Siem Reap International School after gunmen took a teacher and pupils hostages in Siem Reap, Cambodia, June 16, 2005. A Canadian child and two gunmen were killed on Thursday as Cambodian troops and police stormed a school in the resort town of Siem Reap to end a six-hour siege near the Angkor Wat temples, police said. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom