On October 4, 2007, police in Kampot shot and killed an alleged thief. SRP Deputy Secretary General Mu Sochua visited the scene and called for an independent investigation of what appears to be an extra-judicial murder. Body of the victim (Photo: SRP)
Mu Sochua comforting the wife and daughter of the victim (Photo: SRP)
Mu Sochua visiting the location of the incident (Photo: SRP)Extra-judicial killings are all too common in Cambodia
In the same week as the article "Kampot Police: Thief Was Shot in Self-Defense" (The Cambodia Daily, Thursday edition) was published, The Cambodia Daily reported three additional articles of alleged extra-judiciary killings of alleged thieves by district police, forestry officials and rubber plantation police.
In two of the articles, the deaths occurred in front of young children and family members of the alleged thieves. In the three incidents and in many other killings by police and government officials in charge of safeguarding public security major conflicting facts were reported by these officials, local human rights investigators and eye witnesses.
Even with serious conflicting reporting, the government and in particular the Ministry of Interior rarely call for independent investigations to build public trust or to bring justice to the victims and their families.
By sustaining such a practice, the government continues to allow armed police and government officials to take justice into their own hands, with no fear of being sanctioned. These cases are usually filed, and rarely reviewed or reopened for further investigation, even by the court.
Having been present at the scene just a few hours after the police killing in Kampot and having heard the police report given to me by the provincial police deputy chief that took no consideration of the villagers' account of the event, there is no doubt in my mind that in Cambodia, extra-judicial killings are common practice, with full support of high-level officers quick to protect the crime committed by officers in their unit.
The practice of such cover-ups is common and police routinely claim: (1) the alleged thief is armed or opened fire at police; (2) police have an arrest warrant; (3) police shoot in self-defense; (4) further arrest(s) of accomplice(s); (5) confession of accomplice(s). Case closed.
In the Kampot killing, the person of the alleged thief was thoroughly searched, in front of his family members and villagers. He was then taken by more than 10 armed policemen across the next rice field and executed, at close range, in broad daylight, in full presence of the victim's family members and the entire village, villagers claim.
It is nothing less than the Khmer Rouge executions in the killing fields of Cambodia.
The man's 11-year-old daughter cried out to all to hear: "Why was my father killed like an animal?" Maybe, the National Police Chief might want to answer that question to the little girl, as the public already knows.
Mu Sochua,
SRP Deputy Secretary-General,
Phnom Penh
In two of the articles, the deaths occurred in front of young children and family members of the alleged thieves. In the three incidents and in many other killings by police and government officials in charge of safeguarding public security major conflicting facts were reported by these officials, local human rights investigators and eye witnesses.
Even with serious conflicting reporting, the government and in particular the Ministry of Interior rarely call for independent investigations to build public trust or to bring justice to the victims and their families.
By sustaining such a practice, the government continues to allow armed police and government officials to take justice into their own hands, with no fear of being sanctioned. These cases are usually filed, and rarely reviewed or reopened for further investigation, even by the court.
Having been present at the scene just a few hours after the police killing in Kampot and having heard the police report given to me by the provincial police deputy chief that took no consideration of the villagers' account of the event, there is no doubt in my mind that in Cambodia, extra-judicial killings are common practice, with full support of high-level officers quick to protect the crime committed by officers in their unit.
The practice of such cover-ups is common and police routinely claim: (1) the alleged thief is armed or opened fire at police; (2) police have an arrest warrant; (3) police shoot in self-defense; (4) further arrest(s) of accomplice(s); (5) confession of accomplice(s). Case closed.
In the Kampot killing, the person of the alleged thief was thoroughly searched, in front of his family members and villagers. He was then taken by more than 10 armed policemen across the next rice field and executed, at close range, in broad daylight, in full presence of the victim's family members and the entire village, villagers claim.
It is nothing less than the Khmer Rouge executions in the killing fields of Cambodia.
The man's 11-year-old daughter cried out to all to hear: "Why was my father killed like an animal?" Maybe, the National Police Chief might want to answer that question to the little girl, as the public already knows.
Mu Sochua,
SRP Deputy Secretary-General,
Phnom Penh
12 comments:
I experienced the same case when I was at university 8 years ago. There was a robbery in Sangkat Toek La Ak III. The motor cycle owner was killed that time in front of his house. He was the son of a high ranking official. Later in the same day, all the robbers were caught. They were brought to site that they committed the robbery and executed under the sight of huge crowd. The police declared publicly that the shooting happened because those thieves tried to escape when they were allowed to replay their action of robbery for filming. One of my friend, a former police offer, told me that the killing of a thief was awarded 100,000 riels. This was 8 years ago and I am not sure the award scheme is still being implemented now.
There go another victim of unemployment. Had the guy have a job, he will not be in this mess. Sorry Baby, your perpetrator is not our law enforcer, but Ah Khmer-Yuons who cause instability in srok khmer and deterred job from your daddy.
To 12:29PM! Fuck you Vietcong bitch!
Oh well! If Cambodian people don't have a job and they will have to steal to live! I wonder what happen to the Rectangular Economic Policy of AH HUN SEN Vietcong puppet put into action over the year! Did AH HUN SEN economic policies have created any job so far? AH HUN SEN Vietcong puppet government is better off now because it is one less dirt poor Cambodian people to feed!
Bravo AH HUN SEN Vietcong puppet!
What happen to all the due process before the law?
Ah khwak tmill yuon's slave supporter 12:29pm will die like that case soon.
the message to the cpp senior officials like hun sen, sok an, hok lundy. how do you feel if this happens to your families?
Bad!
And Ah Chkout, 12:55, no economic plan will be 100% effective if your idiot people (Ah Khmer-Yuons) keep on tampering with it. Do you know what I mean?
To 2:23PM Vietcong bitch!
I don't know what you mean bitch! The Vietcong are manipulating Cambodian economic system! Who control Cambodia economy? Why don't you read the Cambodian Family Tree by Global Witness and you will know control Cambodian economy!
You need to tell your Vietcong slaves not to tamper with Cambodian economic system!
Actually, all those logging created some jobs for us; therefore, it probably have saved a few desperate life for us already, and that worthed enough to me. Fuck the trees because soon or later we are going to chop it down anyway to further develop our country.
ignorant man 3;03 is not a Khmer. He is a the definiation of Khmer Youn. The illegal youns who come to Cambodia and as he say, tranmpper on Cambodian economy. Amongs us Khmer, there is already a understanding and consensus that the khmer kroms are not Khmer youns, to us all Khmers are Khmers. So that leaves out only one place left to look for this "A Khmer Youn" culprit. uh oh. looks like someone caught in their own trap.
Asshole, get the fuck away from Khmer people.
Hey, I don't remember any vietcong named in Global Witness report. I ASSUMED that even if the report is true, Those people named in the report don't look like lumberjack to me. Therefore, they must put khmer people to work for them, and help relieved Khmer people desperation from doing stupid thing like robbing people and get shot by our police officer. Thus logging is not all that bad in my view. Plus, we are not talking big moneys here. Judging from the satelite images I can't see anything more than 1 million USD or so.
More Cambodian thugs shot another cambodian citizen in Cambodian shit hole.
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