Wives of Cambodian deminers working in Sudan said Monday their husbands are not receiving their salaries.
As many as 100 demining troops may not have received pay in at least two months, according to two women, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Typically, these salaries are received by wives or family in Cambodia, but this has not been happening, they said.
"It is normal when the husbands go on such a mission that we wait for the salaries," said one wife.
"When he is in Cambodia, he is a soldier, and you know that soldiers' salaries are minimal, only 100,000 riels; therefore I don't have enough food to feed my children. We the wives are waiting for the day we will get the salaries." "When I say it is difficult, it is difficult," said another deminer's wife. "I don't know when they will give us our salaries."
Defense Minister Tea Banh denied the claims, saying the soldiers were doing their jobs well and the ministry was doing a "proper job" paying them.
