15 April 2008By Sophorn
Radio Free AsiaTranslated from Khmer by KI-MediaThe victim, a SRP activist from Chambok commune, Svay Chrum district, Svay Rieng province, expressed his concern about his personal safety after he was able to escape from a murder attempt committed against him on 12 April.
Sum Mara, the SRP activist, told RFA on 15 April that, a few days after a group of people who could be CPP members hacked him and injured his nose, as well as stabbing his head and knocked him unconscious, the same group is now re-appearing and they have been showing up around his house every day. Sum Mara said: “The culprits whom I know their identity, came to survey my house everyday. I do not dare going out of the house. I am fearful and concerned, and I only informed the party provincial leaders, they said that they will come to visit, but they haven’t yet. Even if it is the New Year period, the local authority and the police which are in charge of protecting people, under such circumstances, they should come and ask or provide protection, and ask our opinion since we are the victims. I am saying that they are discriminating (against me). By what I know, the culprits who tried to kill me, they may be connected to the local police chief also. They live right next to the police chief.”
Uy Thorn, the Svay Chrum district governor, said that he did not know about the hacking of this SRP activist. Regarding the accusation that the murder attempt against the SRP activist was politically motivated, Uy Thorn rejected this accusation: “If the commune is not taking care of this case, bring it to the district level, I am always present at the district level”
Nevertheless, Seng Mardi, a SRP official from Svay Rieng province, claimed that this is a revenge case: “By what I understand, this is a revenge case, it’s not a political case.”
On Tuesday, RFA could not obtain clarification from the Chambok commune police chief because he could not be reached by phone.
On 12 April, at about 11:30 PM, Sum Mara claimed that a group of about 50 people armed with wooden sticks, steel rods and swords, came and circled him. They said that they would kill him to shut him up because he refused to accept a bribe from the CPP to join the CPP party.
Adhoc and Licadho human rights groups officials claim that they have not investigated this case yet.
Comfrel, an organization involved with the election, indicated in its March report that during the preparation for the 2008 general election, the number of threats against political activists has doubled in comparison to 2006, and the number of personal security cases has also increased in comparison to 2006, 29 such cases were reported, including cases involving SRP activists.
