19 March 2007
By Sav Yuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
An official of the Kandal court indicated that an order has been issued to the police authority to initiate an investigation into the case of a Khmer Krom monk who died in the Tronum Chreung pagoda, Boeng Thom commune, Ang Snuol district, Kandal province.
Huot Vuthy, the prosecutor of the Kandal province court, said that on Monday, he summoned the Kandal province police authority and ordered an investigation into a number of doubtful proofs [body marks left on the monk’s body at the time of his death].
Huot Vuthy said: “We are currently investigating, I summoned the police for questioning already, soon we will travel to the pagoda to question at the pagoda …”
Human rights group said that they welcome the decision to investigate this case, however, the group believes that it may be already too late for an investigation because the monk body may already have been decomposed by now and crucial investigation proofs may have already been lost.
Proofs on the monk body may be lost
Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, president of the Licadho human rights group, was not pleased about the situation because the proofs [of possible murder] left on the body of the Khmer Krom monk could have been lost already.
Dr. Pung Chiv Kek said: “It is regretful that it may be too late already. When the monk recently died, the investigation should have been initiated so that the results may be known by everybody, especially by the monk’s family members and by the Khmer Krom Human Rights Organization which is following this case. We believe that it has been too long and there is no result at all from the police authority. It is very regretful.”
Khmer Krom monk Eang Sok Thoeun was found dead for no apparent reason at the Tronum Chreung pagoda in the evening of 27 February, and his body was buried in haste at 3:00 AM in the early morning of 28 February. The death occurred right after a group of Khmer Krom monks held a demonstration in front of the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh.
Khmer Krom monks association and human rights groups had pushed the Kandal province court twice to order an investigation into doubtful marks reported on the monk’s body.
On 16 March, a tense confrontation took place between more than 300 villagers supporting the abbot of the Tronum Chreung pagoda – who prevented the removal of the dead monk body from his grave – and 60 Khmer Krom monks along with a group of human rights activists who wanted to hold a prayer at the deceased monk burial ground.
Huot Vuthy, the prosecutor of the Kandal province court, said that on Monday, he summoned the Kandal province police authority and ordered an investigation into a number of doubtful proofs [body marks left on the monk’s body at the time of his death].
Huot Vuthy said: “We are currently investigating, I summoned the police for questioning already, soon we will travel to the pagoda to question at the pagoda …”
Human rights group said that they welcome the decision to investigate this case, however, the group believes that it may be already too late for an investigation because the monk body may already have been decomposed by now and crucial investigation proofs may have already been lost.
Proofs on the monk body may be lost
Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, president of the Licadho human rights group, was not pleased about the situation because the proofs [of possible murder] left on the body of the Khmer Krom monk could have been lost already.
Dr. Pung Chiv Kek said: “It is regretful that it may be too late already. When the monk recently died, the investigation should have been initiated so that the results may be known by everybody, especially by the monk’s family members and by the Khmer Krom Human Rights Organization which is following this case. We believe that it has been too long and there is no result at all from the police authority. It is very regretful.”
Khmer Krom monk Eang Sok Thoeun was found dead for no apparent reason at the Tronum Chreung pagoda in the evening of 27 February, and his body was buried in haste at 3:00 AM in the early morning of 28 February. The death occurred right after a group of Khmer Krom monks held a demonstration in front of the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh.
Khmer Krom monks association and human rights groups had pushed the Kandal province court twice to order an investigation into doubtful marks reported on the monk’s body.
On 16 March, a tense confrontation took place between more than 300 villagers supporting the abbot of the Tronum Chreung pagoda – who prevented the removal of the dead monk body from his grave – and 60 Khmer Krom monks along with a group of human rights activists who wanted to hold a prayer at the deceased monk burial ground.
1 comment:
How can they investigate and check some proof from the nature of killing when the corpse is already rotten?
So is this the trick of the court to avoid proof being revealed?
Khmer Kampuchea Krom is both oppressed by both Yuan in Mekong Delta and Phnom Penh
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