UN Office Calls for 'Credible' Murder Probe

By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
17 July 2008

The UN human rights office called for a credible investigation into the shooting of an opposition journalist, noting that in the past such investigations have faltered.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the government to "conduct a prompt, thorough and credible investigation" into the murder of Khim Sambor and his son, who were gunned down Friday night on a street in Phnom Penh.

The murder two weeks ahead of a national election, "irrespective of the motive," could revive in people's minds "the fear of politics," the UN office said.

Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Thursday the investigation was continuing, but no motive has been established.

"The investigation is not remaining in darkness," he said.

The UN rights office said in its statement Thursday a credible investigation was warranted "in the context of the continued impunity for past killings of journalists."

Friday's killing follows the murder or attempted murder of at least eight journalists since 1994, the rights office said, "all cases in which the perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity."

Human rights groups told reporters Thursday "the assassinations of reporters and other opposition political activists causes weakness of the general situation of peace and causes fear among voters."

Touch Naroth’s verdict on Khim Sambo’s murder: “70% revenge, 30% robbery” and 0% political

Khim Sambo’s murder: Phnom Penh police delivers its initial leads

15 July 2007
By Duong Sokha
Ka-set
Unofficial translation from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

On Tuesday 15 July, the Phnom Penh police provided its preliminary leads on the investigation on the double murder of journalist Khim Sambo and his son, both of whom were shot and killed in the evening of Friday 11 July.

According to Touch Naroth, Phnom Penh police commissioner, two leads are possible: a revenge case or a robbery attempt.

“We estimate at 70% (probability) that it is a revenge case,” Touch Naroth claimed, based on the fact that the assailants did not try to take the motorcycle driven by one of the victims. “The journalist could have personal conflicts,” Touch Naroth added.

The second plausible lead would be a robbery attempt. Touch Naroth gave this a “30% (probability)” and he said that “after the shooting, the thieves could not take away the motorcycle because of the situation.”

According to Touch Naroth, the authorities continue for collaborate with the victims’ family in order to collect information and to make an arrest on the murderers.

Furthermore, on Tuesday, the Adhoc human rights issued a press release in which it stated that it is concerned and regret to see “the use of weapons to threat and kill,” especially during the election campaign.

Adhoc underscored that 6 shooting murders were recorded starting with the murder of Keo Iv, a businessman and speaker for the CTN TV station, on 02 July, up to the murders of the opposition journalist working for the Moneaksekar Khmer and that of his son on 11 July.

“Even if there is no sufficient information yet on the motive of these murders, this shows an increase in the use of guns which creates an atmosphere of insecurity before the [27 July] ballot,” Adhoc complained. “Shooting attacks have a deep impact on the feelings of the citizens, political activists, journalists, and observers in regards to their (personal) security within the framework of their missions.”

Adhoc insisted that the government arrests the murderers so that they can be brought to justice. Adhoc also whished that “urgent and efficient measures” be taken to reinforce the citizens’ security, and so that the election can be conducted “freely and fairly, without threats.”

The Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) also called on the government to conduct an investigation into these crimes and, on Tuesday, it supported the proposal by the US FBI to help the Cambodian police to shed light on the double murder of Khim Sambo and his son. In a common declaration, SRP MPs asked the government to accept the FBI help “so that justice prevails” and so that the protection of politicians, journalists and the citizens be assured.

The FBI proposal was favorably welcomed by Touch Naroth, the Phnom Penh police commissioner. In response to Adhoc declarations, Touch Naroth said that the number of murders have decreased in comparison to the last election campaign in 2003. Nevertheless, he admitted that there is a recrudescence of infractions during the third week of the 2008 election campaign, in comparison to the previous two weeks. “But, these infractions are all over the country. Phnom Penh, the capital, is a complicated location … That’s why there were more problems.”

SRP welcomes FBI assistance over murdered journalist

Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Ly Menghour
The Mekong Times

Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) lawmakers have welcomed an offer from the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assist in the investigation of the murder of SRP-aligned Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper reporter, Khim Sambor, and his son.

An open statement from SRP lawmakers yesterday demanded that the Cambodian government urgently accept the FBI’s offer of assistance, if the government is not connected with the crime. The statement added that accepting the FBI’s assistance to investigate the murder and find justice for the family of the victims will provide a sence of security to politicians, journalists and citizens in general.

The previous killings of politicians, journalists and artists, which have not been thoroughly investigated, make the public worry and suggest that powerful people in the current government are behind the acts, the opposition lawmakers clarified, adding that the international community and various organizations have frequently appealed to the government to take responsibility for “the cruel and cowardly” killings.

The SRP lawmakers’ statement came a day after the US Embassy’s announcement that the FBI remains ready to investigate the slaying of the reporter, if requested by the government. The US Embassy has also voiced sadness over the death of Khim Sambor and his son, saying said that such murders and violence could have a large and negative impact on the media and will make Cambodians lose confidence in participating in a safe and secure election.

Phnom Penh police chief Touch Naruth said that the police are keen to cooperate and share information associated with the murder of Khim Sambor and his son.

“Currently we are doing our best to investigate the case, gather evidence and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said. “So I am happy to cooperate with anyone who has any information on the case. We have been trying hard. We have never left killings and robberies uninvestigated.”

No Help Asked of FBI in Reporter's Killing [... lest the truth on the killers and their backers is revealed to the public?]

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
16 July 2008

The government has not requested help from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in apprehending a suspect in Friday's shooting of an opposition journalist, and Phnom Penh's police chief said Wednesday his police did not need it.

Phnom Penh Police Chief Touch Naroth told VOA Khmer Wednesday the investigation was ongoing, but his personnel were capable of handling the investigation into the shooting of Khim Sambor and his son Friday.

Khim Sambor, a reporter for the pro-Sam Rainsy Party Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, was shot dead along with his son on a Phnom Penh street Friday night.

No suspects have been apprehended.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said Wednesday it was not the role of the government to ask the FBI for help, but it was a matter for the police.

The FBI have announced they will help the investigation, if asked.

Human rights officials said the killing ahead of the elections constitutes political intimidation for opposition groups and voters.

Cambodia: Murder of Journalist Jolts Run-Up to Election

Source: Human Rights Watch

(New York, July 16, 2008) - With less than two weeks before Cambodia's National Assembly elections on July 27, the political climate has sharply deteriorated, highlighted by the killing of opposition journalist Khim Sambo and his son in a drive-by shooting on July 11 in Phnom Penh, Human Rights Watch said today. At 6:30 p.m. on July 11, Sambo, 47, and his son, Khat Sarinpheata, 21, were fired upon numerous times by a man riding on the back of a motorcycle near Olympic Stadium in central Phnom Penh, where Sambo and his son had been exercising. Sambo died at the scene. His son died the following day in hospital.

"As in previous pre-election periods, this killing appears to be intended to send a message not to engage in opposition politics," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Sambo had been a reporter for more than 10 years for Moneaksekar Khmer (Khmer Conscience), a newspaper affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). It is one of the few newspapers in Cambodia that is not dominated by the government or the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) of incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen, which also controls most television and radio stations. Sambo was known for his hard-hitting articles about government corruption, political affairs, and land grabbing.

"The Cambodian authorities should surprise everyone for once and hold accountable those responsible for Khim Sambo's murder, no matter their political allegiance," said Adams. "Sadly, there is every reason to fear that Khim Sambo will be yet another opposition journalist whose killing will not be solved."

Just a month before his murder, military police arrested Moneaksekar Khmer editor, Dam Sith, who is also running as a SRP candidate in the elections, after the paper reported on allegations about the current foreign minister's role during the Khmer Rouge regime. Although Sith was released after several days in detention and the foreign minister dropped his lawsuit against the editor, criminal charges of defamation and disinformation are still pending against Sith under articles 62 and 63 of Cambodia's penal code.

The buildup to the July elections has been marked by intense and systematic efforts by the CPP to pressure opposition party members, particularly those from the SRP, to defect to the CPP. Lucrative offers of high-paying government positions or threats and reprisals against those who refuse have resulted in hundreds of opposition party members defecting to the CPP during this campaign.

One of those suffering reprisals as a result of the defection campaign is Tuot Saron, a local SRP leader in Kampong Thom province, who remains in detention almost four months after her arrest.

In violation of election rules, the 11 political parties competing in the election do not have equal access to the media, especially radio and television. Most of the electronic media outlets in Cambodia have focused their election coverage almost exclusively on positive portrayals of the CPP or one-sided attacks on the opposition. On July 10, the National Election Commission (NEC) issued a warning to 13 television and radio stations for broadcasting biased coverage of the elections. Ten of those stations are dominated by pro-CPP coverage, according to the NEC.

Human Rights Watch called on the Cambodia authorities to promptly implement other critically needed reforms in advance of the elections. These include to:

• Remove pending criminal charges against Dam Sith;
• Reissue the license and reopen Angkor Ratha (FM 105.25) radio in Kratie province, which was shut down by the government in May 2008 after it sold air time to opposition parties;
• Release SRP member Tuot Saron in Kompong Thom;
• Stop the unprecedented pressure by the CPP to coerce opposition party officials to defect to the CPP before the elections; and
• Ensure fair and equal access to electronic media.

"Elections in Cambodia are always fraught with violence and intimidation," said Adams. "While political violence is considerably less than in past elections, the fact that an opposition journalist has been gunned down on a busy city street has sent shock waves through the community of media workers, opposition party supporters, and the voting population in general."

Sam Rainsy: "Hun Sen is like Mugabe, he wants to stay in power forever"

Cambodia Electioneering Turn Violent as U.S. Offers FBI Help

15 Jul 2008
Luke Hunt
World Politics Review Exclusive

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- The United States has joined a chorus of international condemnation and offered FBI assistance after a prominent Cambodian journalist was shot dead just two weeks ahead of national elections.

Khim Sambo, 47, and his 21-year-old son Khat Sarinpheata were riding on a motorbike near Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium when gunmen opened fire, ending a period of unusual calm amid the electioneering.

Campaigning had focused on the economy and a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand that involved possession of the Preah Vihear temple in Cambodia's remote northwest. The temple was recently listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

Phnom Penh won the diplomatic battle with Bangkok, but it was the absence of campaign violence that was winning Cambodia some rare praise for its fledgling democracy until the July 11 slayings.

Human rights groups have been quick to claim the killing was politically motivated and designed to silence critics of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) ahead of the July 27 poll.

Khim Sambo had extensively covered election irregularities, illegal logging and fishing, and land grabbing for the local newspaper Moneaseka Khmer, which is affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP).

The paper's editor, Dam Sith, was recently charged with libeling Cambodian foreign minister and senior CPP member Hor Namhong.

However, the violence has not been restricted to opposition parties.

Ngor Srun, a CPP secretary of state, survived an acid attack Sunday morning as preparations were being made for the cremation of Khim Sambo.

The U.S. embassy said it was saddened by the attacks.

"The FBI, through the U.S. embassy, stands ready to provide assistance, if requested by the Cambodian government, in investigating the case," it said in a short statement.

Paris-based Reporters without Borders also urged authorities to act quickly, warning that such murders would impact on the election if they went unpunished.

Cambodian elections, which were restored by a United Nations-sponsored poll in 1993, have often turned nasty in recent years as this country struggles with a notorious culture of impunity. Election monitors Comfrel said the increase in pre-election violence followed familiar patterns established in 1998 and 2003.

But determining whether killings are politically motivated -- and from whence the orders to carry out violence are issued -- has always proved tricky and investigations rarely result in a prosecution.

Officials also claim election campaigns have been used as an opportunity to settle old scores. Tempers fray, guns are common and the traumas associated with decades of war, which ruined this country, still persist.

"If this pattern continues, more violence will happen in election campaigning," Koul Panha, Comfrel executive director, said.

Human rights advocate Theary Seng agreed, saying the double killing would have a chilling impact on the election.

"It was politically designed to send a message of fear," she said.

Khim Sambo was the 12th journalist slain in 15 years.

The election is being contested by 11 political parties, but the CPP, enjoying the benefits of a buzzing economy and with Prime Minister Hun Sen at the helm, is expected to win and govern outright for the first time.

Previously, the constitution had demanded a party must win a two-thirds majority in parliament before being able to govern on its own. This often resulted in messy and uncomfortable coalitions.

However, a constitutional amendment has reduced the mandated number of parliamentary seats to 51 percent, making it easier for Hun Sen, Southeast Asia's longest serving leader, to extend his 23-year tenure.

This longevity, coupled with the violence meted out among rivals has won him comparisons with Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

"He's like Mugabe, he wants to stay in power forever," SRP chief Sam Rainsy recently quipped.

Luke Hunt is an Australian journalist based in Hong Kong, and a frequent World Politics Review contributor.

'Selective' Coverage After Murders: Reporter

By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
14 July 2008

Moneaksekar Khmer, one of only two opposition newspapers remaining in Cambodia, will be selective in subsequent stories, a staff reporter said.

The murders of an opposition journalist and his son in Phnom Penh Friday night have sent a ripple of self-censorship through his old newspaper, journalists said Monday.

Khim Sambor, 47, and his 21-year-old son, Khat Sarinpheata, were gunned down as they drove on a motorbike near Olympic Stadium Friday evening, just 16 days away from a national election.

Khim Sambor died at the scene, and his son died at a local hospital a few hours later. Both men were cremated in a Buddhist ceremony Sunday.

The killings have meant a change in the way Moneaksekar Khmer will operate, the editor said Monday.

"We don't know if there will be other pressure after the murders. We must be very careful, even for security, and in the work," the editor, Dam Sith, said. "We are afraid that if we write something risky, it could bring us in front of accusations."

Dam Sith was held in jail for a week last month following a story he ran implicating Foreign Minister Hor Namhong as a member of the Khmer Rouge.

He was released when Hor Namhong dropped defamation charges against him, and Dam Sith swore at the time to continue his pro-opposition coverage of the country.

Now, his stories will reflect a more cautious editorial approach. Self-censorship on the meaning of story text and the choice of words will change, he said.

"The murder of Khim Sambor is a serious threat against Moneaksekar Khmer," Dam Sith said. "We are worried now for the whole staff as they are reporting, and when they get back home."

Other Moneaksekar Khmer journalists echoed Dam Sith's concerns.

"We are concerned in accomplishing our jobs," said Vong Sopheak, a reporter for the newspaper. "We don't know what will happen to us, and so we must be more careful. We don't want to have a confrontation. And now we are selective of the information and selective of the topic."

Khim Sambor had covered politics, including the reporting of stories on government corruption, for the newspaper, which is affiliated with the Sam Rainsy Party.

Human rights groups said his murder was likely due to his reporting. Khim Sambor had reported for many years, and focused on conflicts, election irregularities, illegal logging, fisheries crimes, land grabbing, "which are related to powerful Cambodian officials," the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee said in a statement. His murder was likely related to his reporting, the group said.

The killings were roundly condemned by local and international rights groups.

"Allowing this murder to go unpunished would have a considerable impact on the 27 July elections, and we therefore hope the investigation will produce quick results," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement Saturday.

Moneaksekar Khmer is only one of two opposition newspapers.

A third, Sralanh Khmer, began reporting from a pro-Cambodian People's Party point of view following the defection to the ruling party of its top editor, Thach Keth, who is now a CPP undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Information.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy called Khim Sambor's killing a political assassination and called for an immediate investigation.

"When one who dares to write or argue against those with absolute power is assassinated, the perpetrators behind the killing are never found nor tried according to the law," he said in a statement Saturday. "This clearly demonstrates the nature of those in power."

Sam Rainsy also called for further investigations into murders of other opposition supporters, including labor leader Chea Vichea, parliamentarian Om Rasadie, "as well as countless numbers of journalists, political activists and others."

Police have made no arrests in Friday's killings.

The US Embassy issued a statement Monday offering the help of its Federal Bureau of Investigation office "if requested by the Cambodian government."

Slain reporter, son cremated

Monday, 14 July 2008
Eath Daravuth
The Mekong Times

The bodies of Moneaksekar Khmer reporter Khim Sambo and his son, Khat Sarinpheata, shot dead by unidentified assailants Friday evening, were cremated Saturday in Phnom Penh’s Toul Tompoung pagoda. Around 300 government officials, civil servants, media and relatives attended the ceremony.

The murderers are still at large, with authorities claiming to be mystified by the assassination, with less than a fortnight before the July 27 national election.

Khim Sambo and his son were killed as they left Olympic stadium at about 7 pm Friday. Khim Sambo was killed instantly by two gunshot wounds to the abdomen. His son, Khat Sarinpheata, was shot once in the back, dying in Calmette hospital about five hours later.

Officials have denounced the killing, vowing to bring those responsible to justice. The opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) branded the murder a “political threat” in an official statement released Saturday.

SRP Parliamentarian Yim Sovann told journalists at the cremation ceremony that the government has yet to find the real murderers of Chea Vichea, president of Cambodia’s Free Trade Union of Workers, and Om Ratsadi, a former Funcinpec parliamentarian.

“The shooting by unknown persons of Khim Sambo and his son is a threat against SRP supporters because he is the writer of Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, of which Dam Sith is editor-in-chief – he is also an SRP parliamentary candidate,” he said.

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith condemned the killing. “We cannot forgive them [the murderers] when Cambodia is holding an election and needs calm,” he said.

The Cambodian Club of Journalists (CCJ) also denounced the killing, expressing concerns over freedom of speech and the safety of Cambodian journalists in an official statement.

The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) regards the shooting as a threat against impartial news reporting. A CHRAC statement noted that that Khim Sombo’s writing focused on politics, election irregularities, deforestation and land encroachment.

Yim Symony, chief of police for 7 Makara District where the killing took place, said authorities are collecting evidence but cannot find any motive.

Khim Sombo’s boss, Moneaksekar Khmer Editor-in-Chief Dam Sith was recently released on bail after a widely-criticized detention resulting from a lawsuit filed by Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong. Hor Namhong accused both Dam Sith and Sam Rainsy of defamation and misinformation over the latter’s allegations that Hor Namhong was head of the Khmer Rouge’s infamous Boeung Trabek “reeducation center.”

“I still struggle against all problems so that my newspaper can move on, despite the murder of my journalist,” Dam Sith said. “I’m not intimidated.”