Carnage scene immediately following the 1997 grenade attack which the FBI investigated but never release its official report.FBI 'Happy to Receive' Grenade Attack Evidence
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report Phnom Penh
31 January 2008
The FBI conducted an investigation of a 1997 grenade attack in Phnom Penh and will not investigate further unless more evidence is brought forward, the Bureau's director said in Phnom Penh Thursday.
Director Robert Mueller, who officially opened the Bureau's Phnom Penh legal attache office Thursday, declined to talk about particular aspects of the investigation, into the grenade attack on a Sam Rainsy Party rally that left at least 16 dead and more than 140 injured, including one American.
"I would tell you that we did an investigation, and if there is any additional evidence or information that will be assisting that investigation, we'll be happy to receive it," said Mueller, who stopped in Cambodia for two days as part of a regional tour. The official opening of the office brought the number of FBI overseas legal attaches to more than 60, Mueller said.
The office, which effectively has been open a year, helps Cambodian authorities with counterterrorism and cross-border crimes. The FBI has been criticized by rights groups for its close cooperation with Cambodian police, who often perpetrate crimes and rights abuses.
National Police Chief Gen. Hok Lundy, who has had close talks with the FBI since the attache office opened, has been accused of a number of crimes, including suspected murder and human and drug trafficking.
Mueller said at the ceremony he was on a trip of "friendship building" and information exchange.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said there was nothing unusual about the visit, which followed Cambodia's request for greater US cooperation in law enforcement.
That cooperation has included training with the FBI as well as US agents at the seaport in Sihanoukville "to help us do most of the jobs," he said.
Director Robert Mueller, who officially opened the Bureau's Phnom Penh legal attache office Thursday, declined to talk about particular aspects of the investigation, into the grenade attack on a Sam Rainsy Party rally that left at least 16 dead and more than 140 injured, including one American.
"I would tell you that we did an investigation, and if there is any additional evidence or information that will be assisting that investigation, we'll be happy to receive it," said Mueller, who stopped in Cambodia for two days as part of a regional tour. The official opening of the office brought the number of FBI overseas legal attaches to more than 60, Mueller said.
The office, which effectively has been open a year, helps Cambodian authorities with counterterrorism and cross-border crimes. The FBI has been criticized by rights groups for its close cooperation with Cambodian police, who often perpetrate crimes and rights abuses.
National Police Chief Gen. Hok Lundy, who has had close talks with the FBI since the attache office opened, has been accused of a number of crimes, including suspected murder and human and drug trafficking.
Mueller said at the ceremony he was on a trip of "friendship building" and information exchange.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said there was nothing unusual about the visit, which followed Cambodia's request for greater US cooperation in law enforcement.
That cooperation has included training with the FBI as well as US agents at the seaport in Sihanoukville "to help us do most of the jobs," he said.
8 comments:
Srp did it and framed on other.
Many member of the SRP's defectors said all the internal of the SRP setup and framed to someone in order to stay stong as the opposition party!
Please don't show gruesome pictures; children can have nightmare seeing it.
Mueller says "we did an investigation". Does that mean it is closed, it is finished? If so, when will the results be released? Something tells me that isn't going to happen. Why? Because to indict the prime minister or his cronies would de-stabilize relations between Cambodia and the US and endanger America's precious war on terror. Wake up FBI. The Khmer police are simply going through the motions. They're yanking your chains and cashing your checks.
I may disagree with you 9:15 AM. It is controversial these days. That preliminary allegation is intended to diminishing the SRP's political efforts. I believe that those defectors were authorized to distort the facts so that some else will be held accountable. Lets wait for the prosecutors, investigative judges to issue the formal charges based on the sufficient evidences by the FBI agents who have conducted the investigation. Any new evidence is welcomed. Said Robert Mueller during his visit in Cambodia.
S.T.
9:15AM. It's AM, wake up boy. Your stupid comment is for your Hun Sen master. You, yourself, try to frame SRP that committed this crime. So who killed opposition party member every day? Is it SRP? Are SRP member allowed to carry gun and grenade nowaday? Who has those weapon and grenade? Only your boss, Hun Sen, isn't it? Therefore, Hun Sen committed the murderers, but America don't give a shit who killed whom. They try to work with Hun Sen for their own interest. Oil and Gas from Cambodia. Whoever are strong, the US supports those. It doesn't matter what the guy did to his own people or opposition.
I'll wait and see what the American will do to Hun Sen. If they don't do anything to him, they should not try to promote democracy around the world. There's no democracy in Cambodia nowaday and they know that. But, they try to close their eye, until one day the people fed up with Hun Sen regime and start to do revolution again. Then they called those people "Terrorists".
Khmer is like Lebanon which controlled by Syria. Khmer is under the control of Hanoi because the stupid Khmer leaders like Hun Sen and Sihanouk.
I don't think the FBI supervisor will assign the task force to probe on the incident, because of the money and time involved in the process, and the relation with the Cambodian government. Therefore, I don't think the U.S. will jeopardize their the newly established relations between the two nations.
It's all come down to this. America's interests, first and foremost. Combatting terrorism, counter-balance China's main influence in the region. Human rights and democracy in Cambodia, whatever is going on there such as deforestaton, land evictions, corruptions, human and drug traffacking are on the back seat for now.
Actions tell you a lot more than words. Uncle Sam knows it, they read human rights reports on Cambodia. They gave visa to Hok Lundy to come to America, a guy, whom they knew quite well was the head of all of those illgeal activities. Sad reality, and our people will continue to suffer because of this kind of American policy.
this is truly a bipartison bickering. we have no doubt that politics was involved, but which side, we may never know. but it will serve as a violent culture, especially when it comes to politics bickering. i think both parties are wrong, they need to stop pointing fingers at each other and sit down and work their differences out. this is more beneficial than being one-sided view. FBI, please find out the truth, and please listen to both sides of the story, not just one-side. this is called finding justice for the innocent people.
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