Friday, April 27, 2012

Officer killed activist, then himself (sic!): Cambodia

Saturday, April 28, 2012
AP

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- The Cambodian military said Friday it was closing its investigation into a shooting that occurred in a forest rife with illegal logging, concluding one of its own police officers killed a prominent environmentalist then took his own life.

Chut Wutty had been taking photographs in a forest where a Chinese company is building a hydropower dam, and he refused to stop when officer In Ratana asked him to, military police spokesman Kheng Tito said. The two men then started arguing and cursing each other, until In Ratana shot Chut Wutty with his AK-47 assault rifle.

When he learned that Chut Wutty died, he killed himself with his own weapon,” the spokesman said.

The death of Chut Wutty, the director of the National Resources Protection Group, had outraged human rights and environmental groups. A Cambodian rights group, the Center for Cambodian Civic Education, described it as “cold-blooded murder.”


Illegal logging is rampant in Cambodia, and often occurs under the protection of government agencies or important persons, environmental groups have charged. In recent years, protests against land grabs by rich and influential people have often been suppressed by deadly force.

Patrick Alley, director of Global Witness, said the shooting exposed the risks environmental activists in Cambodia face “in the most shocking and tragic manner.”

In Kong Chet, of the Cambodian human rights group Licadho, said the confrontation occurred when Chut Wutty refused to hand over a memory card containing photos taken in a protected forest notorious for illegal logging.

He said the activist had taken two journalists from The Cambodia Daily newspaper to see large-scale forest destruction and rosewood smuggling. The journalists were taken to a military police office for questioning, rights groups said.

Initially, Kheng Tito said the activist and officer had shot each other. But on Friday, he said a pistol with nine bullets was found inside Chut Wutty's car, but he did not shoot it and there was no exchange of fire.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear lovely friend,

Your die has inscripting in our harts, we knew you were a brave friend to us in the past, we never forget you even you didn't be here.

Only dogs can believe this comfirmation. But we're sure the bullet killed you, In Vatana, was from the others.

Friends of MR Chut Wutty during military trainning in Russia

Anonymous said...

Info confirmed that:

“When he learned that Chut Wutty died, he killed himself with his own weapon,” the spokesman said.

Oh, this man, In Vattana didn't want to live ?????

That is the cheap lie, you think that we are so stupid like you, NO NO.

Anonymous said...

ពួកអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះដាច់ថ្លៃរបស់យួនហាណូយសាហាវព្រៃផ្សៃ
ឃោរឃៅយង់ឃ្នងខាង បាញ់បោក,វ៉ៃទាត់ធាក់, កាប់សម្លាប់ ,
ឆក់ប្លន់, រំលោភ,ដុតផ្ទះ មកលើប្រជារាស្រ្តស្លូតត្រង់ដោយគ្មាន
ត្រាប្រណីឡើយ។

ពួកអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះដាច់ថ្លៃរបស់យួនហាណូយប៉ិនប្រសប់ខាងលប់
បំបាត់ភស្ដុតាងហើយចោទឬទំលាក់កំហុសលើខ្លួនដ៏ទៃ
ឱ្យងាប់ជំនួសវិញ។


អានេះគឺជាល្បិចប្ដូរសំបករបស់ពួកអាក្រុមពាលស៊ីពាលនៃ
រដ្ឋាភិបាលអាយ៉ងយួនហាណូយដែលមានមេដឹកនាំ
ដោយអាខ្វាក់ហ៊ុន សែន។

Anonymous said...

Same old trick of CPP.
Sooner or later , you the CPP's dogs will be killed by your boss just like Chhun Vuthy's killer.

And in turn the CPP , the viet dogs
will be killed by the Viet.
After all, Khmer die, Viet goes on to rule Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

IT WOULD BE EASIER TO PULL THE TRIGGER, IF THE TIP OF GUN BARREL WAS PLACED UNDER THE CHIN . I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MR SPOKESMAN WHETHER OR NOT YOU KNOW WHICH BULLET THAT HIT THE GUNNER FIRST ? THE CHEST? OR THE STOMACH ?