Tuesday, April 01, 2008

FBI Must Unmask the Masterminds of the March 30th, 1997 Grenade Attacks

Monday, March 31, 2008
Editorial by Khmerization
On the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com
"The gruesome nature of the attacks demand serious attention and thorough investigations. The spirits of the victims of those attacks must not be forgotten and must be allowed to rest in peace. Perpetrators and the masterminds of those attacks must be unmasked, punished and punished in the severest term possible."
Eleven years have passed and the masterminds behind the grisly attacks that brutally killed 19 people and wounded close to 200 people had roamed freely, and probably thrived on. It is time that the US Bureau of Federal Investigation (FBI) re-open its investigations, which were close to unmask the perpetrators but then have been frustrated by the non-cooperative behaviour of the Cambodian authority and eventually ordered closed by the then US Ambassador, Kenneth Quinn (Click here to read the article).

The results of the unfinished FBI investigations have presumably contained findings that would have implicated the Cambodian authority at the top leadership level. In order to sow good relations and to court Cambodian cooperation in its fight against terrorism, the US has chosen to abandon its policy of not dealing with the perpetrators of human right violations. The US must not be duped into believing that “constructive engagement” with the Hun Sen regime, as in the case with the junta regime of Burma, is the best way to change them. Hun Sen, who never understand the language of diplomacy, whether in simple term or in a convoluted intellectual tone, must be dealt with in a rough and tough manner. And this, I mean, the US must talk tough, diplomacy aside.

For Hun Sen’s proponents and for those who are unfamiliar with the gruesome nature of the 30th March 1997 attacks, they would like to think that Hun Sen has been unfairly and wrongly accused of for political gains. Well, the unfinished FBI investigations had unmasked undeniably evidences of Mr. Hun Sen’s complicity. The unprecedented and strange deployment of Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit around and in the vicinity of the protest site is suspicious in nature, if not in motive. And after the people tried to chase the attackers they were stopped and threatened with guns by Hun Sen‘s bodyguards, while the attackers were let through and disappeared into the fortressed compound of Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit. This was enough of the proof that Hun Sen was a mastermind of those fateful and deadly attacks.

The gruesome nature of the attacks demand serious attention and thorough investigations. The spirits of the victims of those attacks must not be forgotten and must be allowed to rest in peace. Perpetrators and the masterminds of those attacks must be unmasked, punished and punished in the severest term possible.

The US FBI must re-start its investigations into those attacks. All its past findings must be released to the public. The victims have high hope on the FBI’s investigations. In fact, the FBI is the only hope to uncover the truth behind those attacks.

The US has been a good friend of the Khmer people and any attempt to whitewash Hun Sen’s crimes will only re-enforce the belief that the US has now chosen to abandon justice for the Khmer people over its good relations with the Hun Sen government. To choose this path would be a party to, and is an accomplice to, those crimes.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

In this affair of the grenade’s attack, Sam rainsy’s indirect responsibility was never
raised up !

But under the administration of justice, right and law, this sam rainsy’s indirect responsibility in this affair must be evoked today!

Indeed, when a demonstration is forbidden by an authority, those who violent this ban are in the illegality and expose themselves to legal proceedings.

And when the demonstration is illegal law is degenerate and that there are victims, the organizers of these demonstrations are responsible penally faced with the courts.

When in a fight, there are injured persons, those who give knocks to hurt and to damage the others are responsible and have to answer faced with the courts.
The same way for those who provoked the fight.

And in criminal law, when the law and order is disrupted, the public prosecutor can and normally has to exercise legal proceedings against the culprits in the name of the society, in the general interest, even if there are no complaints on behalf of the victims.

Sam Rainsy can be condemned to pay the damages interests to the victims for his indirect responsibility in this affair.

We think in the name of the justice and of the law and order and of the general interest, the public prosecutor of the Phnom Penh’s court has to exercise a legal proceedings against sam rainsy in this affair.

A demand of levying of sam rainsy’s parliamentary immunity has to require to the National Assembly.

As all the Cambodian citizens, sam rainsy is not over the laws!

Anonymous said...

If in the FBI's report on this affair, there are new elements.
These new elements can give place to the supplements of inquiry and sam's rainsy's indirect responsibility can be examined by the court!

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree!

To have urged people to demonstrate in spite of the official ban, to have exposed(explained) the life of people in danger, rainsy sam has to be 5-year-old condemned person of imprisonment and to pay 10 million USD of damages to the victims.
It is the acceptable minimum in this affair

Khmer Young said...

This is a good opportunity to debate about the law and law strengthening in the case of this deadly grenade attack as well as mass demonstration.

Cambodian national constitution adopted during 1993 clearly stated the pluralism of free market of Cambodia to upgrade itself to the status of nation-state. Cambodian national constitution solemnly guarantees the freedom and human rights of Cambodians. Those freedom and human rights significantly include the freedom of expression, public assembling, and demonstrating.

This is essential that national constitution as the main organ of all social branches of law should be valued and respected by all leaders.

Who has been breaking the law in term of city law and national law. Phnom Penh municipality claims its excuse to safeguard or prevent public order. So that they have never permitted any demonstration or mass assembly.

But this municipal organization has never elaborated of how important to comply themselves with the national constitution.

In reality, the order of the public is just a political justification to ban demonstrations and to denounce them as illegal in order to arrest, to beat or to imprison.

In long term sustainable development of Cambodia in all fields namely politics, economics, and social surely require the "rule of law". Cambodia will not go far or advance under Hun Sen's leadership because he and his cronies are smart only in reserving and maintaining his personal power. And their group have manipulated the law all the time.

The excuse of public order disruption from the Phnom Penh municipality is just the indicator of ineffectiveness of policemen, political leadership, democratic development, and political will.

Sam Rainsy or other unions have not don anything wrong or violation in term of national constitution; if it is wrong, it is wrong only that their activities should disturb the power and interests of those corrupted and dictatorship leaders.

Cambodia should reserve better than that!

KY

Anonymous said...

It is true that the constitution of the royal of Cambodia recognizes the law of expression, opinion, demonstration, public freedom, political pluralism.

But the government is a boss to judge the opportunity of such or such demonstration by regulating it.
government is also a boss to judge the general intêret, the order and the law and order by promulgating authorizations and bans.

Any violation of these bans exposes the culprits to legal proceedings.
Every citizen and every responsible politician must know that freedom does not mean anarchy!
And that the rights go together with the duties and the responsibility.

Anonymous said...

The demonstration was not illegal. It was approved by the Interior Ministry. Please read the article linked to the editorial. In the court of law, under an independent judicial system all, scope of investigations must be examined. But concrete evidences have been uncovered even before the investigations had begun- that the attackers fled to the Hun Sen's bodyguard compound and hid there. It was undeniably sure that the attackers were ones of Hun Sen's bodyguards. Sam Rainsy was almost killed. How can someone believe Hun Sen's twisted lies that Rainsy had organized the attacks- to kill himself?. One has to wonder where were all the alleged attackers. At least two or three of them were identified and all were mysteriously disappeared. At least one attacker, Brazil, was protected by Nhiek Bunchhay at his Taing Krosaing Barrack. When it was razed by Hun Sen's forces in 1997 coup, Brazil was missing- some people saw his body riddled with bullets. Some said that the attacks on Taing Krosaing was to arrest or kill Brazil, who was very vital to the investigations and who is about to talk to the FBI. In the initial FBI investigations, it found strong evidences that Hun Sen was the mastermind of the attack and that Hing Bun Heang, Hun Sen's bodyguard commander, was the one who organized the attacks on that fateful day.

Anonymous said...

5:22PM

The evidence is truly refered to important leader, Hun Sen. That why American embassy saw the interests of their nation and corporation more important than. Or we can say it is the strategic planning of America through FBI.

FBI's evidences are still in hand, and they are a very important political tool to play with Hun Sen not to allow him to use his outraged anymore.

Hun Sen himself said "chong mindael plech kok, tae kok taeng plech chong".

Khmer Young said...

5:05PM

Your political style is like Hun Sen group that EXECUTIVE can consolidate power and ban and regulate whatever they want.

According to what you said it is true because in communist countries, politburo is the head, the absolute EXECUTIVE.

It is simple to ask Hun Sen administration "do they want to lead Cambodia in a democratic manner, or dictatorship?"

National constitution surely promotes the independence of parliamentary, judiciary, and executive.

Anarchy cannot be happened by freedom expression, it can be happened by only oppression and corruption.

KY

Anonymous said...

Contrary to the fact that you say ,no official authorization was conceded by the interior ministry for this demonstration!

Anonymous said...

Bravo! It's a good educational debate here.
It's seemed that CPP has not waken up yet. It's still sleeping and dreaming in the bed of Communist regime.
What's the fate of poor Khmer people.

Anonymous said...

8:16PM
Contrary to what you say, The Cambodian royal government stays and will never remain indifferent to the fate of the poor Cambodians.

See you not that the Prime Minister Hun Sen has just decided 6-dollar increase for the salaries of the textile's workers?

And you, what do you do for these poor people?
To part to say against the truths! Have you not shame?

Anonymous said...

8:50PM WHAT WE POOR PEOPLE DO FOR OUR POOR PEOPLE AND WHAT YOUR PM JUST DID, IS UP TO OUR POOR PEOPLE TO DECIDE1

DO YOU THINK WE ARE THAT STUPID? MAY BE YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER ARE BOTH STUPID SO DO YOU! WAIT A LITLE MORE YEAR YOUR FATHER MAY GIVE YOU HIS PHD!

PHD TO GIVE? THAT'S STUPID!!!!

Anonymous said...

To Solve our argument can CPP dare to reforme the justice system so there is and independent court so it can give justice to both Rainsy and Hun Sen?
If not possible, please let lighning strike the the whole killer's family some day!

Anonymous said...

Do not stand next to Hun Sen because when lightning strike him and hit you too, your wife would sue what?

Anonymous said...

By reacting in this way we can legally wonder if you are not completely a big stupid!

To try to say things intelligent the next time my friend and we shall admire you!

Anonymous said...

Dictators will use the law to legitimize their power. This practice is very popular in Cambodia under Hun Sen leadership.

Never mentioning the national constitution or the important procedures of the law, Hun Sen himself is egoistic person who are above the law because he can order to release people imprisoning from land grabbers, giving them money (so-called compensation), appointing to high ranking positions of defectors, and finally order factories owners to raise to $6.

Without studying or dealing with the complicate issues such as corruption, bribery, and illegality; Hun Sen is number one and the best leader in Cambodia who can deceive and manipulate Cambodian peoples in all fields, all times, and all election seasons.

KY

Anonymous said...

The demonstration was approved by the Interior Ministry. The Sam Rainsy Party had received the letter of approval. In a democratic country, peaceful demonstration can be organized any time. The organizers just inform the authority of where and when the demonstration will take palce and the authority just to provide security. Th 1993 Cambodian institution stipulated the the freedom of assembly- meaning feedom to demonstrate. In the cas of the 1997 demonstration, the authority was responsible in every facet of an eventual mishap. They failed to protect the peaceful protesters and, with very strong evidences, they organized the attacks. In a full functional democracy the PM will resign in disgrace and if found to be behind the attacks like what the FBI found Hun Sen to be implicated, the PM will be convicted in a court of law and sent to jail for life, or in America he might be sentenced to death for mass murders.

Anonymous said...

1:41, PM is not educated in the west, remember?

Anonymous said...

7:32 AM Do you know that the PM is not educated at all? The man is illiterate for crying out loud!!! You can't see??? OH! Never mind!!

Anonymous said...

4:12 AM, that's some good stuff you put out. My applaud to you!!! My Brother/Sister!! Sadly, the FBI had overwhelming preponderance of evidence to convict the culprit and a lack of (F)idelity, (B)ravery and (I)ntegrity to convict one.