By Ratha Visal
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
45-year-old Seng Saran, the leader of a community group to protect local forestry and fisheries in Sre Kor commune, Sesan district, Stung Treng province, died after he was shot by an unknown assailant at 7:30 PM on Wednesday 04 July 2007.
Som Cha, Seng Saran’s Lao wife, confirmed that he was shot by a bullet fired from the bottom of their house, while he was sitting upstairs eating with his family. The bullet pierced his buttock and he passed away half an hour later.
The wife of the victim said that she does not know the cause of the assassination, but her husband led the villagers in natural resources protection activities. Seng Saran’s wife called for a search of her husband’s assassin to be brought to face justice: “Please help me find justice, if he can be found, let him die like my husband.”
Ting Sing, the No. 1 Sre Kor commune councilor, said the Seng Saran was recently nominated as the leader of the community group to protect local forestry and fisheries, following the increase in the number of illegal local logging and fishing activities.
Ting Sing said that the assassination is not political, but that it was done because of revenge instead. “If he had disputes (with others), I don’t know about them, but as far as (the assassination) being political, there is no way.”
At the location where the incident took place, the police found one bullet shell – similar to that of an AK-47 machine gun – underneath the victim’s house. However, they did not find any other evidence on the identity of the assassin.
Kang Mao, Sre Kor police chief, said the police cannot evaluate the nature of assassination because experts are still conducting their assessment, and they are looking into the bullet lodged in the victim’s body. “They are reviewing the bullet which is still stuck inside his body.”
Chhay Ret, an official of Adhoc human rights organization who visited the incident spot on 05 July 2007, said that Adhoc officials are conducting their investigation into this case, but that so far, no evidence can be found and no witnesses have come forward to talk about the cause of this savage assassination.
Chhay Ret said: “He was shot from the bottom of his house, and there is no sign of the assassin. However, be fore he died, he called the commune chief by phone, asking him for help. When the commune chief arrived, he already died. I cannot make any assumption, we are looking into the cause and we are performing preliminary investigations.”
Sre Kor commune councilors said that in the past anarchy took place in the commune with the illegal logging of precious woods, and the destruction of fisheries. These incidents were perpetrated by a number of armed local government officials.
Seng Saran is himself an Adhoc activist in Stung treng province, and he is also the leader of the community group to protect local forestry and fisheries which was organized by the Sipa organization in Strung Treng province.
According to an Adhoc official, a few days earlier, Seng Saran led the villagers in a protest to protect the lands which were grabbed by a land concession company.
Som Cha, Seng Saran’s Lao wife, confirmed that he was shot by a bullet fired from the bottom of their house, while he was sitting upstairs eating with his family. The bullet pierced his buttock and he passed away half an hour later.
The wife of the victim said that she does not know the cause of the assassination, but her husband led the villagers in natural resources protection activities. Seng Saran’s wife called for a search of her husband’s assassin to be brought to face justice: “Please help me find justice, if he can be found, let him die like my husband.”
Ting Sing, the No. 1 Sre Kor commune councilor, said the Seng Saran was recently nominated as the leader of the community group to protect local forestry and fisheries, following the increase in the number of illegal local logging and fishing activities.
Ting Sing said that the assassination is not political, but that it was done because of revenge instead. “If he had disputes (with others), I don’t know about them, but as far as (the assassination) being political, there is no way.”
At the location where the incident took place, the police found one bullet shell – similar to that of an AK-47 machine gun – underneath the victim’s house. However, they did not find any other evidence on the identity of the assassin.
Kang Mao, Sre Kor police chief, said the police cannot evaluate the nature of assassination because experts are still conducting their assessment, and they are looking into the bullet lodged in the victim’s body. “They are reviewing the bullet which is still stuck inside his body.”
Chhay Ret, an official of Adhoc human rights organization who visited the incident spot on 05 July 2007, said that Adhoc officials are conducting their investigation into this case, but that so far, no evidence can be found and no witnesses have come forward to talk about the cause of this savage assassination.
Chhay Ret said: “He was shot from the bottom of his house, and there is no sign of the assassin. However, be fore he died, he called the commune chief by phone, asking him for help. When the commune chief arrived, he already died. I cannot make any assumption, we are looking into the cause and we are performing preliminary investigations.”
Sre Kor commune councilors said that in the past anarchy took place in the commune with the illegal logging of precious woods, and the destruction of fisheries. These incidents were perpetrated by a number of armed local government officials.
Seng Saran is himself an Adhoc activist in Stung treng province, and he is also the leader of the community group to protect local forestry and fisheries which was organized by the Sipa organization in Strung Treng province.
According to an Adhoc official, a few days earlier, Seng Saran led the villagers in a protest to protect the lands which were grabbed by a land concession company.
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