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| Soung Sophoan, a Sam Rainsy Party activist and former resident of Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak lake area, is carried by local residents and rights workers after he was beaten unconscious last Friday during an eviction at Boeung Kak. Photo by: Meng Kimlong |
Mom Kunthear and Bridget di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post
We have more than enough evidence ... it was meant to totally silence him. It was meant to kill him.
Sam Rainsy Party youth wing leader Suong Sophoan filed a criminal complaint yesterday accusing local police, riot police and security guards acting for Boeung Kak lake developer Shukaku of attempted murder, after he was beaten unconscious last Friday.
Accompanied by SRP parliamentarian Mu Sochua and wearing a cowboy hat and low-slung jeans, Suong Sophoan filed the complaint at Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday afternoon.
Under his hat, parts of his hair were shorn away and bandages covered wounds received during the attack – which was filmed at Phnom Penh’s lakeside and later posted online.
“I want the court to find justice for me and justice for Boeung Kak residents against this gang of armed forces,” Suong Sophoan said.
“The authorities took a big stone to hit my head in order to kill me, but I used my hand to protect myself.”
The complaint was filed with a list of more than 80 witnesses and the video footage of the alleged attempted murder.
“We have more than enough evidence that the violence was not meant to just shove him off the scene,” said Mu Sochua.
“It was meant to totally silence him. It was meant to kill him.”
The number of police outside the court more than tripled shortly after Soung Sophoan arrived to file his complaint.
But the youth leader said he was no stranger to the attention of police. Nor was he a stranger to their brutality.
“You all know that I was abused and threatened with arrest many times,” he said. “But I keep my ambition to protect the [Boeung Kak] villagers until I die.”
“You would think this would create an atmosphere of fear,” said Mu Sochua, speaking outside the courthouse. “But to the contrary the message is counterproductive.”
“This is a moral message – Soung Sophorn is full of energy, passion and courage. Don’t forget the power of social media to put the face of injustice in the public.”
Mu Sochua said a video of Soung Sophorn’s beating had received more than 10,000 views since being posted online last weekend.
“This is how we bring about change,” she said yesterday. “It is time for the state to face reality.”
In his complaint, Soung Sophoan requested US$10,000 in compensation and sentencing of all the perpetrators.
Hy Pro, deputy police commissioner of Phnom Penh, said that it was Soung Sorphoan’s right to file a complaint.
“I was not at the scene on that day, so I have no knowledge, but let the court do their work on this case,” he said.
Shukaku representatives were unavailable for comment last night.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHEANG SOKHA AND KHOUTH SOPHAK CHAKRYA
5 comments:
Abusing of power and attempting to kill the opposition to silence the political feud is so brutal and unlawful which only happens in dictatorial regime. The police should have served the Kingdom of Torture but instead they are working for the ruling party only, CPP. CPP has colluded all three braches in the Cambodian government. However, with the collective evidences of police's brutalities, I have high hope that Suong Sopheap case will succeed in Court. In the article, tripple of the policemen showed up in front of the court, I think they are to threat the opposition. So please, I am urging everyone of Boeung Kak to show up in court and support Sopheap on the court date and if any sign of violation of the police brutalilies, you have to fight back, I think your chance may come on that day, you have to face them and fight them, you take them down one by one, and I also can see other civillian will join you to fight back the policemen. You will win anywhere when you are united, UNITY IS YOUR STRENGHT.
Best whishes
PREY VENG
it's a dead give away! "sam rainsy youth" is politically motivated! i think the judge should toss this case out the door! the judges should tell them no politically motivated accusation is allowed in their court of law, really! srp is biased and always politically motivated in their activities for their own political attack and political gain, you know! people in cambodia are sick and tired to see that all the time comin from scam rainsy members that always run away to overseas after they committed unlawful acts, etc, you know! cambodia should ask france to deport scam rainsy back to cambodia to face trial and justice. the court of cambodia should sue scam rainsy for contempt of court and for bias against cambodia and cambodia's justice, etc! this guy was let loose too many times already and still make the same trouble again and again! i think cambodia nowadays don't need this guy again because he doesn't know how to stop being bias toward cambodia, you know!
11:40 PM
Yes, 'it is a dead give away', you said, because dictator is always thinking for himselves. The poverty, the land grabbing, the abusing and killing of the civillian, ect.. in the county is the dictotorship motivation, and the oppression is dictator's self-influence. It is too individualistic that your dictator have thought and done in hpypocrite way for the past 30 years; killing and abusing people is a rightous mind, your mission statement. These Cambodian people are not animal, instead of sending policemen to raid the village why don't they send city officials to negogiate. People are people and if you give them fairshare, they will take it and run because they know that they are powerless. But, your city officials are too greed, offering less money and when BK villagers are disagreeed, you twisted and turned and forced them out of village. Democratic country does not exercise their power like yours in Cambodia because they value life.., not dead give away, you said. I am challeging always...and remember I am not with any parties, a spectator and former leader garillar war in Prey Veng, Kampong Cham 1979-1980 and I don't like Khmer Rouge and Khmer Viet Minh.
Cambodia needs change now, and it has been changed drasticly since 1979 and 1980. A force of change to nowaday, because Cambodian people kept fighting every for only one purpose, "to free themselve from dictatorship" where is the oppression is where is the revolt.
By the way toosing Sophon's case out the door will not surprise me at all, because we all knew that your government is corrupted, and has no responsibility which is the same thing as SRP's case, injustice and injustice...and because you are too scared of Vietnamese influence, I don't like to call you Vietdog like others did.
Politic is always biased remember, but true polician is always work to benefit their people. I got to go, Dictator.....
Prey Veng
To 11:40 PM, the video footage of Mr. Police brutality clearly told the truth. You don't have add any comment.
Don't betray your conscience.
11:40 PM,
Don't try to change him as he is preparing himself for a job that Hun Sen may give one day to a stupid person like that! He will say OK, OK, OK every time Hun Sen passes his gas.
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