Opposition party leader Sam Rainsy pays respect in front of a memorial for victims of a deadly grenade attack, in Phnom Penh March 30, 2007. Friday marks the 10th year anniversary of a grenade attack which took place in front of the national assembly killing 16 people and injuring 150. REUTERS/Chor SokuntheaSaturday, March 31, 2007
AFP
“These cowards were sent by government thugs and their agents to try and kill those threatening Hun Sen’s hold on the people” - Ron Abney of the perpetrators of the 30 March 1997 grenade attack
Like militants and antigovernment civil libertarians in the Philippines, Cambodia’s opposition leader Sam Rainsy demanded Friday an end to the country’s culture of impunity, at a ceremony in Phnom Penh, the capital, marking a grenade attack that killed at least 16 protesters 10 years ago.
No one has been arrested for the bombing of the antigovernment protest, which also wounded more than 120 people, including an American, despite government claims that the case is still open.
“All compatriots, unite together to end this culture of impunity in order to stop powerful people from killing others at will and not face conviction,” a tearful Sam Rainsy said.
“Ten years have passed but our hurt and misery remain the same,” he added, standing at the site outside Cambodia’s parliament where four grenades were hurled into the crowd on March 30, 1997.
Sam Rainsy called on the governments of France and the United States to look into the grenade attack.
The New York-based rights group, Human Rights Watch, on Thursday also urged the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to reinvestigate the attack.
The FBI opened a probe into the attack after US citizen Ron Abney, who was country director of the US-funded democracy group International Republican Institute, was seriously wounded by shrapnel.
But the investigation was hampered by uncooperative Cambodian government officials and quickly bogged down.
In a statement read out at Friday’s gathering, Abney said “that one tragic event that day showed the world what happens when [Prime Minister] Hun Sen’s power is questioned.”
“These cowards were sent by government thugs and their agents to try and kill those threatening Hun Sen’s hold on the people,” he said.
Bodyguards of Hun Sen have been accused by rights groups of throwing the grenades—a charge repeatedly denied by the premier.
Sam Rainsy had earlier accused Hun Sen of masterminding of the attack, but later recanted after returning last year from self-imposed exile in France, where he had fled to avoid being imprisoned for defaming the premier.
No one has been arrested for the bombing of the antigovernment protest, which also wounded more than 120 people, including an American, despite government claims that the case is still open.
“All compatriots, unite together to end this culture of impunity in order to stop powerful people from killing others at will and not face conviction,” a tearful Sam Rainsy said.
“Ten years have passed but our hurt and misery remain the same,” he added, standing at the site outside Cambodia’s parliament where four grenades were hurled into the crowd on March 30, 1997.
Sam Rainsy called on the governments of France and the United States to look into the grenade attack.
The New York-based rights group, Human Rights Watch, on Thursday also urged the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to reinvestigate the attack.
The FBI opened a probe into the attack after US citizen Ron Abney, who was country director of the US-funded democracy group International Republican Institute, was seriously wounded by shrapnel.
But the investigation was hampered by uncooperative Cambodian government officials and quickly bogged down.
In a statement read out at Friday’s gathering, Abney said “that one tragic event that day showed the world what happens when [Prime Minister] Hun Sen’s power is questioned.”
“These cowards were sent by government thugs and their agents to try and kill those threatening Hun Sen’s hold on the people,” he said.
Bodyguards of Hun Sen have been accused by rights groups of throwing the grenades—a charge repeatedly denied by the premier.
Sam Rainsy had earlier accused Hun Sen of masterminding of the attack, but later recanted after returning last year from self-imposed exile in France, where he had fled to avoid being imprisoned for defaming the premier.
3 comments:
You want "culture of impunity"?
You got it. Just get the fuck out
of our holly ground, you stupid
idiot.
The mastermind is in fact;
MR. SAM RAINSY IN COLLUSION WITH FORMER KHMER ROUGE SAM BIT!
THE TRUTH WILL COME SOON! be ready to stay at 5 stars prey sar or guantanamo prison.
the candle of the truth
To 9:41PM
Sam Rainsy what? ahahahahah
Is this all you got? I don't you can handle the truth!!The fact that AH HUN SEN Vietcong slave former Khmer Rouge is running Cambodia to the ground and what do you have to say about that??
Hey man! I have all the fucken time in the world and I will be waiting for you to reveal the truth!!!!I can't wait to hammer this bastard!!!!
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