New York, July 14, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the murder of journalist Khem Sambo and calls upon Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to immediately launch an independent investigation into the killing. CPJ is concerned that Sambo may have been targeted in reprisal for his reporting on government corruption.
A journalist with the opposition-aligned Khmer-language daily paper Moneaseka Khmer, Sambo was shot twice while riding his motorcycle with his 21-year-old son on July 11 in the capital of Phnom Penh, according to international and local news reports. He died later in the hospital. His son was also shot and killed, the reports say.
The gunmen were also riding on a motorcycle and sped away after the shooting, news reports say. Cambodian police officials said on Sunday that they had not yet identified a motive or any suspects in the murder, which occurred during the run-up to general elections on July 27.
“We call in the strongest terms for the government to work to bring Khem Sambo’s killers to justice,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program director. “The killing of journalists unfortunately harks to Cambodia’s violent past. A lack of justice would be inconsistent with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent stated commitment to protect and uphold press freedom.”
Moneaseka Khmer is affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, and Sambo was among the publication’s most hard-hitting reporters. Content analysis of Sambo’s reporting in the weeks before his murder compiled by the Cambodian League for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights and reviewed by CPJ reveals a steady stream of critical reporting on Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodia’s People’s Party.
His most recent reports, written either under the pennames Srey Ka or Den Sorin, touched on allegations of government corruption, internal rifts inside the ruling party, and questions about the distribution of benefits from recent rapid Chinese investment in the country. The Moneakseka Khmer is one of only a handful of consistently critical publications in Cambodia; the broadcast media all report unswervingly in the ruling party’s favor.
On June 8, Moneakseka Khmer’s editor-in-chief, Dam Sith, was arrested and detained on defamation and disinformation charges filed by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong for a story published in the newspaper quoting a speech by opposition politician Sam Rainsy that was highly critical of several government officials. He was discharged without bail on June 15 after Hun Sen requested his temporary release while the trial was still pending, according to news reports that quoted the journalist’s lawyer.
Sith called the attack on Sambo “the gravest threat” to the publication, according to The Associated Press.
A journalist with the opposition-aligned Khmer-language daily paper Moneaseka Khmer, Sambo was shot twice while riding his motorcycle with his 21-year-old son on July 11 in the capital of Phnom Penh, according to international and local news reports. He died later in the hospital. His son was also shot and killed, the reports say.
The gunmen were also riding on a motorcycle and sped away after the shooting, news reports say. Cambodian police officials said on Sunday that they had not yet identified a motive or any suspects in the murder, which occurred during the run-up to general elections on July 27.
“We call in the strongest terms for the government to work to bring Khem Sambo’s killers to justice,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program director. “The killing of journalists unfortunately harks to Cambodia’s violent past. A lack of justice would be inconsistent with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s recent stated commitment to protect and uphold press freedom.”
Moneaseka Khmer is affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, and Sambo was among the publication’s most hard-hitting reporters. Content analysis of Sambo’s reporting in the weeks before his murder compiled by the Cambodian League for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights and reviewed by CPJ reveals a steady stream of critical reporting on Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodia’s People’s Party.
His most recent reports, written either under the pennames Srey Ka or Den Sorin, touched on allegations of government corruption, internal rifts inside the ruling party, and questions about the distribution of benefits from recent rapid Chinese investment in the country. The Moneakseka Khmer is one of only a handful of consistently critical publications in Cambodia; the broadcast media all report unswervingly in the ruling party’s favor.
On June 8, Moneakseka Khmer’s editor-in-chief, Dam Sith, was arrested and detained on defamation and disinformation charges filed by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong for a story published in the newspaper quoting a speech by opposition politician Sam Rainsy that was highly critical of several government officials. He was discharged without bail on June 15 after Hun Sen requested his temporary release while the trial was still pending, according to news reports that quoted the journalist’s lawyer.
Sith called the attack on Sambo “the gravest threat” to the publication, according to The Associated Press.
15 comments:
i guess this killing of journalist khem sambo is a sign of weak rule of laws or something along that line. people, especially the media should be allowed and be protected by law to voice the truth as they see it without fear of reprisal or retaliation from the gov't or higher authority. this kind of injustice should not be tolerated in cambodia at all, especially after what the KR regime did to its own people. FBI, please demand the gov't to find justice for the victim and his grieving family.
I seemingly understand or learn to understand that these incidents in Cambodia, to much extent, has remained unresolved willingly almost ever and often especially ones involving in politics. This country absolutely dies for proper and no-alternate implementation of law for the development of the whole country, but not just a bunch of die-hard, blood-suckers of their own people. Now can anyone do anything about it-finding the perpetrators? You bet! No where will they ever be found or the absolute motives ever released. When can this country implement the law for the people and the country?
I agree. Khmer authority should work with the FBI to find this murderer.
What is the use of finding anyone? Every time we convicted someone for something, Ah Savage Infidel Scam Rainxy accused us of convicting innocent people. Damn if you do, and Damn if you don't.
Hun Sen is the head of the country so do your job, if you don't just step down.
Hey Hun your government promise to find the killer.
So where is Khim Sambo's killer????
If the FBI could help the Cambodian authority to find the killer this would be good because so far the Sambo family is grieving and nobody seem to care much.
What is so strange about that? People often don't give a damn about troublemakers.
we would solve 50% of the problems if we first, arrest 10:17. This m-fker is one of them. Ah Sva Nis has never made any sense.
If he get to beam Kdor Anh, he would definitely become normal.
If the CPP don't don't care about case of a journalist being murdered and freedom of speech, then the people of Cambodia should not give a damn about the CPP.
Cambodia should not give a damn about a government sitting there doing the big nothing!
So on the 27 of july we know what to think about the CPP.
If the CPP does not serve justice then Cambodia must vote for a new government who server the interest of Cambodia and its people.
Can anyone summerize the contents written by pennames Srey Ka or Den Sorin since last three weeks upto the killing. Then we can see which contents were most hot.........
thanks,
CPP justice is one of the best in SEA if not the world. Therefore, vote CPP.
Yeah 2:00PM, You are right!
CPP is really the best not only in SEA but also in the world.
The best things CPP can do are:
1/ It makes the country become the most corrupt country in the world.
2/ It makes the price of gasoline and goods the most highest in the world.
3/ It makes the country's court system the most injustic off all in the world.
4/ It makes the world become known that the current leader is the most power-addicted of all in the world
5/ It makes the best culture of impunity of all in the world.
.....etc.
Are these true, 2:00PM?
Thanks,
Your friends
If Hun Sen cannot the murderer and enforce human right for the Khmer we have to show him the door on the 27th of July.
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