SRP leader Sam Rainsy at a memorial last year for victims of the 1997 grenade attack. On Monday, the SRP will mark the 12th anniversary of the attack, for which no one has yet been brought to justice. (Photo by: TRACEY SHELTON)Friday, 27 March 2009
Written by Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post
Opposition representatives say 1997 grenade attack will be marked with a commemorative ceremony at the site of the bloodshed Monday morning.
THE opposition Sam Rainsy Party is to hold a memorial Monday to mark the 12th anniversary of the 1997 grenade attacks that left at least 16 dead and more than 100 injured at a peaceful rally in Phnom Penh.
Sam Rainsy Party Secretary General Ke Sovannroth said the event would help highlight the fact that more than a decade since the attack, the Cambodian government has made no progress in bringing its perpetrators to justice.
"Twelve years on, no one has been tried for their crimes against [the SRP's] peaceful demonstration, and the government has never identified the perpetrators or found justice for the victims," she said.
Ke Sovannroth said the commemorative rally, to be held at the memorial stupa marking the place where the attack took place, would include victims of the attacks and their families.
On March 30, 1997, a crowd of about 200 supporters of the opposition Khmer Nation Party (KNP), led by former Finance Minister Sam Rainsy, gathered in the public park across the street from the then National Assembly to denounce the corruption and lack of independence of the judicial system.
In a coordinated attack, four grenades were thrown into the crowd, killing protesters and bystanders, including children, and blowing limbs off
street vendors.
After the first grenade exploded, Sam Rainsy's bodyguard, Han Muny, threw himself on top of his leader. He took the full force of a subsequent grenade and died at the scene. Rainsy escaped with a minor leg injury.
The KNP had received official permission from both the Ministry of the Interior and the Phnom Penh Municipality to hold a peaceful demonstration on the day of the attack.
Sustained impunity
Sam Rainsy, now president of the SRP, said that the attackers, like the senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge, had enjoyed total impunity for their actions.
"The leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime killed millions of Cambodian people and the tribunal has still not found justice for the victims," he said, adding that there was little hope of bringing the perpetrators of the grenade attack to justice.
"But we will not forget it. We will hold memorials every year in order to ensure that justice is done," he added.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said that three suspects were identified by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which reported that one died and one disappeared during the factional fighting of July 1997, while another remained on the run from authorities.
"The FBI is still helping us, and we have never closed the case," he said. "As long as we can wait, we will try to shine a light on the perpetrators."
But Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said that the government had no real commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice because the victims were largely supporters of the SRP.
He added that the government's behaviour had also done nothing to pry apart the legal impunity that still plagues Cambodian society.
"We found that few crimes against the opposition have seen the perpetrators brought to justice," he said.
THE opposition Sam Rainsy Party is to hold a memorial Monday to mark the 12th anniversary of the 1997 grenade attacks that left at least 16 dead and more than 100 injured at a peaceful rally in Phnom Penh.
Sam Rainsy Party Secretary General Ke Sovannroth said the event would help highlight the fact that more than a decade since the attack, the Cambodian government has made no progress in bringing its perpetrators to justice.
"Twelve years on, no one has been tried for their crimes against [the SRP's] peaceful demonstration, and the government has never identified the perpetrators or found justice for the victims," she said.
Ke Sovannroth said the commemorative rally, to be held at the memorial stupa marking the place where the attack took place, would include victims of the attacks and their families.
On March 30, 1997, a crowd of about 200 supporters of the opposition Khmer Nation Party (KNP), led by former Finance Minister Sam Rainsy, gathered in the public park across the street from the then National Assembly to denounce the corruption and lack of independence of the judicial system.
In a coordinated attack, four grenades were thrown into the crowd, killing protesters and bystanders, including children, and blowing limbs off
street vendors.
After the first grenade exploded, Sam Rainsy's bodyguard, Han Muny, threw himself on top of his leader. He took the full force of a subsequent grenade and died at the scene. Rainsy escaped with a minor leg injury.
The KNP had received official permission from both the Ministry of the Interior and the Phnom Penh Municipality to hold a peaceful demonstration on the day of the attack.
Sustained impunity
Sam Rainsy, now president of the SRP, said that the attackers, like the senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge, had enjoyed total impunity for their actions.
"The leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime killed millions of Cambodian people and the tribunal has still not found justice for the victims," he said, adding that there was little hope of bringing the perpetrators of the grenade attack to justice.
"But we will not forget it. We will hold memorials every year in order to ensure that justice is done," he added.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said that three suspects were identified by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which reported that one died and one disappeared during the factional fighting of July 1997, while another remained on the run from authorities.
"The FBI is still helping us, and we have never closed the case," he said. "As long as we can wait, we will try to shine a light on the perpetrators."
But Ou Virak, president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said that the government had no real commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice because the victims were largely supporters of the SRP.
He added that the government's behaviour had also done nothing to pry apart the legal impunity that still plagues Cambodian society.
"We found that few crimes against the opposition have seen the perpetrators brought to justice," he said.
8 comments:
We find some clue of the person who did this crime , the guy name HUn SEn one eye he is a former Khmer rouge . Go get him now ..
Their spirit, we should honor; their glory we should glorify; their model we should follow...what else?
It was Hun Sen and his right hand Hok lundy!
Yes the whole world knew that A Khvack Makhang was staying behind the attack, the problem is how can we take him down for justice? Can any body tell me that? If Mr. Sam Raing Sy did not close the case with A Khvack I think we still have the power from out side (UN) to push him to admit that I think.
To 9:29am,
Don't worry my brother. His time will come soon and his regime will be gone like the wind. Cambodia's economy is not in good a shape right now, the borders dispute with Thailand, corruption, eviction, land grabing from the poors and secret treaty with Vietnam. He is not very popular like he was in the 90s. Khmers will have enough of him. Once he is downed, no country in the world would give him an asylum.
Love you all Khmers,
Khmer in New York.
Don't you ever believe Khieu Kanharith.
This Khmer Rouge supporter is not working for innocent Khmer peoples. He is working for his former Khmer Rouge commanders (Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin).
The three suspect that he is talking about, maybe murder by Hun Sen Death Squad already.
Grenade Attack on March 30, 1997 was orchestrated by Hun Sen Regime.
Statement of Heng Peov
http://ia311543.us.archive.org/1/items/HengPoevStatementofHengPoev/Statement_of_Heng_Peov.pdf
god bless all khmer people everywhere.
Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy loves to kill each other and then blame the government for it because they think they can score some votes from it. Little do they know they were totally wrong.
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