CambodiaWatch's Statement on the killing of Chhut Vuthy

CambodiaWatch – Australia

30th April 2012 

Chhut Vuthy (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Statement

On 26 April 2012 at the Koh Pao village, Bakkhlong sub-district, Mondol Seima District, Koh Kong province, near a logging depot/mill of the Timber Green Company at Veal Bey point, while conducting field research in relation to illegal logging, Mr. Chhut Vuthy, a well known forest activist of Cambodia and Director of Natural Resource Protection Group, was shot and killed by military police officers of the Military Police of Koh Kong province, Cambodia. The person who allegedly shot Mr Vuthy was a military police officer named In Rotana.  

CambodiaWatch-Australia condemns in the strongest terms 
the killing of Mr. Chhut Vuthy.  

 CambodiaWatch-Australia expresses our deep condolences to 
the family of Mr. Chhut Vuthy.

Initial reports suggest that just prior to the incident Mr. Chhut Vuthy and two other journalists from the Cambodia Daily stopped by the logging depot belonging to a private logging company, the Timber Green Company, which company is known to be protected by the Koh Kong Military Police. The trio were approached by two military officers, namely Mr. In Ratana and Mr. So Sopheap (the former was an assistant to the military police judicial investigation Office of the Koh Kong Province Military Police) and the two  military officers were soon joined by three other military police officers at the scene before the killing occurred. It has been reported that the military police officers illegally confined Mr Vuthy and the journalists and confiscated their cameras.

(Click here to view full statement of CambodiaWatch)