Khmer Conscience ... went dead

Newspaper of Murdered Journalist Closes

By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
14 July 2009

A year after an opposition journalist was murdered in Phnom Penh, the paper he once wrote for is closing, even as the case goes unsolved.

Moneaksekar Khmer, or Khmer Conscience, ceased circulation Friday, following an apology to Prime Minister Hun Sen from its editor, Dam Sith, who faced charges of defamation and incitement by the courts.

In an interview Saturday, Dam Sith said he did not want to discuss the murder or the closing of the paper, saying only, “I am facing difficulties.”

Moneaksekar Khmer ran for 10 years, and its reporters faced extra-judicial attacks—incurring injuries, or being killed—and lawsuits in the courts, as it published stories critical of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and often favorable of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party.

Reporters for the newspaper will now be out of work, but they worry still for their safety.

“I feel scared all the time,” said Vong Sopheak, a reporter for the paper who was injured in the March 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally. That attack killed at least 16 people and injured more than 150, and its perpetrators have never been caught.

“But we can’t think too much about the fear, or we couldn’t work,” Vong Sopheak said in a recent interview. “So we keep the scared feeling aside. I am shocked with fear and concern for my own security. I am scared that I could meet the same fate as Khim Sambo and his son, because security for journalists is so risky.”

Journalists for the now defunct paper meet other journalists from the mainstream media and now ask for jobs, Vong Sopheak said, adding that this will silence one half of the political debate in the country.

“I am sorry that people are going to lose a large portion of information,” he said. “A democratic society needs constructive criticism. Without constructive criticism, a democratic society won’t run smoothly.”

Meanwhile, the murder of Khim Sambo, who had written for the newspaper and was killed ahead of general elections last year, remains open.

Two weeks prior to Khim Sambo’s killing, the journalist wrote an article under a pseudonym, Srey Ka, alleging that a top police official had lost money gambling at Le Macau Casino in Bavet district, Svay Rieng province.

The gambling debts had cleaned out the official, who had lost $100,000, Khim Sambo reported. The casino returned half the money, which the police official soon lost in more gaming, only to force the casino to extend him a credit line. When a casino staff member refused, the official threatened to have him arrested, according to the report.

Following the July 11, 2008, murder, Reporters Without Borders urged Prime Minister Hun Sen to create an independent commission to investigate, claiming it had credible reports that Gen. Hok Lundy, the national police chief, may have been behind the crime and that police had covered it up. (Less than five months after Khim Samboi’s murder, Hok Lundy perished in a helicopter crash over his home province, Svay Rieng. Officials said bad weather brought the helicopter down.)

Ultimately, the US offered the services of a team of FBI agents to assist in the investigation, but no one was arrested, and Khim Sambo’s family has since fled the country.

Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, told VOA Khmer the authorities had worked hard to track down the murderers, but he declined to comment on the results of the investigation. He denied that police had been involved in a cover-up.

“It is not so. It is not so,” he said. “Whomever is involved, we must investigate. While the investigation is underway, I wish not to reveal [details].”

The ongoing investigation had been hindered by the family’s flight from the country, Khieu Sopheak said.

Chan Saveth, a senior investigator for the rights group Adhoc, who personally inspected the crime scene and the bodies of Khmer Sambo and his son, said he had been deeply frustrated at the lack of arrests in the case and the rise in impunity the murders seemed to underscore.

“The case reflects the impunities in our country, relating to the murder of journalists, for example,” he said in a recent interview. “Impunity in our country is on the rise day by day. It is piling up. We are worried about it because after the murder, nothing was found.”

Cambodia Sees Little Rights Progress

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia--Women walk past balloons bearing "Clean Hands" logo on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Dec. 10, 2008. (Photo: AFP)

2008-12-11
Radio Free Asia

Local groups see no progress this year in human rights in Cambodia.

PHNOM PENH—Cambodians saw “no progress” this year in human rights, with human trafficking, forced evictions, and official impunity persisting as major concerns, according to Cambodian rights groups.

“Like last year, there has been no progress,” said LICADHO [Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights] president Phung Chhiv-kek in an interview.

“The land issue, the human trafficking issue, and the issue of sexual assaults have remained problems,” he said.

Journalists also are subject to physical and legal attacks, leaving press freedoms a “mirage,” LICADHO director Naly Pilorge said.

In July, Moneakseaka Khmer columnist Khim Sambo was shot to death, along with his son, by still unidentified assailants.

In another case, RFA reporter Lem Pichpisey fled the country in the spring with his family after AK47 bullets were found lined up outside his home. The reporter and his family have since been granted protection by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees while they wait for relocation to a third country.

“As far as law enforcement is concerned, we see that many fundamental rules have been broken, especially by government officials and wealthy people,” Om Chandara, director of the Friends of Khmer Journalists Association, said.

“When you break the law, this violates human rights,” he said.

Freedom of assembly

Restrictions were also placed on freedom of assembly in 2008, said Ek Visarakhun, secretary-general of the Cambodian Journalists Council, pointing to what he called “a serious downturn” in the rights of citizens to publicly express their opinions.

“In many ways, we do not seem to have the freedom to stage demonstrations or take part in public gatherings,” he said.

Cambodian Center for Human Rights president Ou Virak agreed.

“The people’s right to freedom of movement has been barred, especially for protestors trying to bring their protests over land disputes to [the capital] Phnom Penh.”

Sam Viriya, a resident of Prampi Meakara ward in the capital, Phnom Penh, said that Cambodia’s human rights situation “is getting worse.”

“Our people have lost faith in the authorities,” he said. “When we have problems, such as complaints about human rights, we prefer going to the NGOs, since state institutions care only about their own problems.”

Calls seeking comment from the government-created National Committee for Human Rights were met with replies from subordinates saying their superiors were busy or traveling.

Poor record

The U.S. State Department, in its most recent report on human rights worldwide, said that Cambodia’s record in 2007 “remained poor,” citing arbitrary arrests, endemic corruption, forced evictions over land disputes, and continued human trafficking.

In a Dec. 10 statement marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission said that "in the field of civil and political rights as well as economic, social, and cultural rights, people in Asia ... have so little to celebrate."

"Even after 60 years of the adoption of this great declaration," the Commission said, "the gap between what is declared and what is actually achieved ... is enormous."

Original reporting by Hassan Kasem for RFA's Khmer service. Khmer service director: Sos Kem. Executive producer: Susan Lavery. Written in English by Richard Finney. Edited for the Web by Sarah Jackson-Han.

Hok Lundy: The Death of a Murderer

Opinion by Khmerization
11th November, 2008

“Hok Lundy’s death is a gain for the humanity because his death means that Cambodian has rid one of the worst human right abusers Cambodia has ever had.”

In Buddhism, karma has been described as a fate or destiny which was determined by one’s own actions. In the Buddhist philosophy, karma is the quality of somebody's current and future lives as determined by that person's behaviour in this and in previous lives. In short, if you do good things, good things will happen to you. But if you do bad things, bad things will happen to you.

If one believes in the Buddhist philosophy of karma, then the recently death of Gen. Hok Lundy, Cambodia’s notorious police commissioner, has been attributed to his own bad karmic practices. And judging from the reactions of my fellow bloggers to the death of Gen. Hok Lundy, I wonder if his death has anything to do with his karma.

Gen. Hok Lundy, during his 14 years tenure as Cambodia’s police commissioner, has committed numerous gross human right violations. His ruthless approaches to his critics and opponents have seen many of them brutally killed and tortured.

He has ordered or personally carried out many politically-motivated and extra-judicial killings against his opponents. As recently as last July, he has been reportedly named by the respected South China Morning Post as having some, either directly or indirectly, involvements with the murders of journalist Khim Sambo and his son because Khim Sambo has written an article critical of his gambling addiction at Bavet Casino, the place where his helicopter crashed that killed him last Sunday. In 1997, a few days after the July’s coup d’etat, Gen. Ho Sok, a secretary of state of the Ministry of Interior from the Funcinpec Party, who was supposedly Hok Lundy’s boss, was personally executed by Hok Lundy himself inside the Ministry of Interior’s building.

Gen. Hok Lundy has been linked to many other high profile murders as well. The murder of Piseth Pilika, an actress who had a secret love affairs with Prime Minister Hun Sen and the attempted murder on Touch Sounnik, a famous singer who was rumoured to be romantically linked with a high-ranking government official, were somewhat linked to Gen. Hok Lundy. Other politically-motivated murders include the grenade attacks in front of the National Assembly on 30th March, 1997 in which 19 peaceful protesters were killed and 190 others were wounded, the murders in 2003 of Chea Vichea, a union leader and the murder in 2003 of Om Radsady, a prominent politician, are all linked to Gen. Hok Lundy.

But the recent attempted murder on Miss Suon Pheadkei, called DJ Ano, a TV presenter and an actress who was rumoured to have had a love affair with Gen. Hok Lundy, should shock everyone. Miss Suon Pheakdei had disappeared a few weeks ago and according to witnesses, she was last seen bundled into a car by 3-4 men. She was later found with head shaved and her body, breast and private parts riddled with 80 razor blade cuts. She was treated in a Vietnamese hospital and is not expected to live.

The person who ordered the kidnapping and mutilations of Miss Suon Pheakdei’s body is rumoured to be Gen. Hok Lundy’s wife. After the news of Gen. Hok Lundy’s death, I received an email from a respected lawyer and in reactions to Lundy’s death he said: “Justice may be slow in catching up on this criminal, but karma isn't. We hope his wife, who is holding DJ Anoy’s hostage in a Vietnamese hospital, will face justice.”

When asked to confirm how credible his information is, he said: “I can't confirm; the info was relayed to me by a friend who works in the film/karaoke industry in phnompnh.”

The death of someone should not be celebrated. Instead, it should be mourned. But, when it comes to the death of Gen. Hok Lundy, one of the ruthless killers of Cambodia, the news of his death, if not celebrated, should be enthusiastically welcomed. Personally, his death means the passing of one of Cambodia’s worst human right abusers. But in respect to the spirit of the death, I offer my sympathy to the bereaved family, his wife being the exception considering what she had done to Miss Suon Pheakdei.

And from the point of view of the human right advocates, Hok Lundy’s death is a gain for the humanity because his death means that Cambodia has rid one of the worst human right abusers Cambodia has ever had.

After reading different reports and claims from different sources, one wonders if Gen. Hok Lundy’s death was accidental or it was an assassination. Some people claimed that some witnesses told them that there is a group of people who shot down the helicopter with a rocket launcher before it landed at a helipad at Bavet town. Other witnesses claimed that they saw a fire at the tail of the helicopter before it went down. Other said that the tail of the helicopter appeared to have been hit by something.

So, was the helicopter crash an accident or was it hit by a rocket launcher? If it was hit by a rocket launcher, could it be the work of someone who wanted to get rid of Hok Lundy? Here is what I have received in my email from the same respected lawyer in which he said: “hun Sen also happy to see him dead as he is a thorn in HS's good eye. Lundi also held HS (Hun Sen) hostage for a lot of awful things.”

In summing up this editorial, Hok Lundy’s death is a loss, not a loss to the humanity but a loss of one of Cambodia’s murderous top cop. His passing should be a cause for celebration. But one should be worried about his replacement, Lt-Gen. Neth Savoeun. Gen. Neth Savoeun, a nephew-in-law of Prime Minister Hun Sen, is no angel either. He has a reputation of being a ruthless and another serious human right abuser, if not on par with Gen. Hok Lundy, his notoriety is no better either. This is another case of one murderer being replaced by another murderer.//

FBI continues to investigate [on Khim Sambo's killers]

Friday, October 17, 2008
ABC Radio Australia

Two FBI agents who where helping Cambodian police investigate the murder of a Cambodian journalist have been sent home.

Human Rights organisations say their departure is a negative development in efforts to find his killers.

Presenter: Claudette Werden
Speakers: Vincent Brossel, Reporters without Borders; John Johnson, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer

Click here to listen to the Windows Media audio program

WERDEN: Khim Sambo was riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by his son when he was shot dead at close range. His son was also shot while cradling his dying father and later died in hospital. The killings occured just before Cambodia's general elections in July, then the theory was the journalist has been killed to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the elections. At the time, the US government offered the services of the FBI. Then a second theory emerged saying the murders were linked to a personal dispute. But now a different story is emerging, just prior to his death Khim Sambo had written a critical article about Cambodia's police chief. Vincent Brossel from Reporters without Borders explains.

BROSSEL: Khim Sambo was working for an Opposition newspaper and he wrote a sensitive article about this police chief going to a casino and spending thousands and thousands of dollars and arresting the casino manager because the casino manager refused to give him more money so of course we have to be careful but that's something the investigation should clear . Vincent Brossel from Reporters without Borders .

WERDEN .Two weeks ago a story appeared in the South China Morning Post commenting on that article and providing a different theory for the journalist's murder. In that article Human Rights group speculate the killers, who were also riding a motorcycle had no fear of being arrested as they weren't wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity.

BROSSEL: The fact the FBI was involved in the investigation and now they're withdrawn after such a news article, so it means there is a big suspicion that there is a cover up of this case and once again we fear in Cambodia it will be impossible to know who are the killers and the masterminds of the killing.

WERDEN: Were they told to withdraw or they chose to withdraw?

BROSSEL: That's what we don't know, the US government is not very clear on this but I guess they feel that the investigation is not going on the right track.

WERDEN: The US government says its an ongoing investigation and it won't comment on the return of the FBI agents. But John Johnson the Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh has been quoted as saying he's aware of human rights groups concern of a police cover-up.

JOHNSON: The FBI has provided a range of support to this investigation and we have somebody in country who continues to provide support when needed. Those two FBI agents were providing a different aspect of support, once their particular jobs were completed then they left the country, but that doesn't mean the FBI has completely withdrawn

WERDEN: Can you tell me what kind of support they were providing?

JOHNSON: No, actually this is again an open investigation and we don't comment on specifics.

In Cold blood

Hok Lundy prior to his departure for a visit to the US (Photo: AFP)

A woman prays in front of a portrait of journalist Khim Sambo, who was murdered along with his son in a Phnom Penh street on July 11. Police, who are being aided by the FBI, say they have no suspects in the case. Photo: AFP

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2008
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (Hong Kong)

The circumstances surrounding journalist Khim Sambo’s murder point to official involvement, writes Vincent MacIsaac

"They had no fear of being arrested. They weren’t wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity" - Chan Soveth, of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association

Two weeks before he and his 21-year-old son were shot dead, Cambodian journalist Khim Sambo reported on a not uncommon topic in opposition-affiliated newspapers. When gamblers from the upper echelons of the ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP), accompanied by armed bodyguards or police, have prolonged losing streaks, it sometimes erupts in anger and even violence.

“When they lose, and cannot borrow more from the casino, they arrest the casino owners,” he wrote under one of his numerous pseudonyms, Srey Ka, in the June 28-29 weekend edition of the daily Khmer Conscience, which is affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP).

However, Khim Sambo – whose own anger needed to be “toned down”, according to a former colleague – went further than most, mocking the behaviour of a senior police officer described by many as “one of the most dangerous men in Cambodia”.

He reported on an incident that allegedly occurred – SRP newspapers are often accused of fabrication or exaggeration – on June 25 at a casino complex at a border crossing with Vietnam in the town of Bavet in Svay Rieng province.

After losing his shirt at Le Macau Casino and Hotel, the officer borrowed from the casino, lost that, borrowed more – and lost again. When the casino manager refused to lend any more, he had him arrested by the junior officers accompanying him, Khim Sambo reported.

He went further, describing how the officer stacked the deck: “When he loses US$100,000, the casino returns US$50,000. But he plays until losing the returned money, and demands to borrow more. If any casino owner dares to say ‘no’, he threatens to arrest him.”

Khim Sambo did not identify the officer by name but dropped enough hints so that when he concluded his report by stating “there is no need to name [the CPP gamblers] because everyone in Cambodia knows who they are”, he assumed readers would be able to identify the officer, a source said.

“He did not think he had put himself in danger because he did not identify the officer by name,” the source said on condition of anonymity. Several others – all of whom requested anonymity, citing concern for personal security – said that Khim Sambo was writing about Cambodian National Police Commissioner Hok Lundy.

The former governor of Svay Rieng province has been at the top of Cambodia’s police force since 1994. “There is hardly anyone in Cambodia who has shown more contempt for the rule of law than Hok Lundy,” Human Rights Watch has said. He “represents the absolute worst Cambodia has to offer”, it said.

“We believe the killing is related to that article,” Son Chhay, the whip of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party claimed, though he declined to identify the subject of the article.

The editor of Khmer Conscience, Dam Sith, who had been jailed on defamation charges in June, said he knew nothing about the article when interviewed by phone last Thursday.

That day, he was interviewed by one of the two agents from America’s FBI, said to be “supporting” their Cambodian counterparts in the investigation.

“I told them I don’t know anything about who is behind the killing, and that I hope they find who it is,” he said.

Chan Soveth, a programme officer at the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, warned that “if the FBI cannot work independently [their assistance] is just a political game”.

He arrived at the scene of the double homicide about 30 minutes after it occurred at about 6.30pm on July 11 and has been investigating ever since. He fears the police are protecting the perpetrators rather than trying to solve the crime.

Khim Sambo, 47, bled to death on the side of a busy street in central Phnom Penh, minutes after being shot twice in the back while riding a motorcycle driven by his son Khat Sarinpheata. The young man died the next day in a Phnom Penh hospital, after being shot twice while cradling his dying father, said Chan Soveth.

The killers, two men on a motorbike who approached Khim Sambo and his son from behind, were probably hired assassins, he said, pointing out that they used a K-49 pistol with a silencer.

“They had no fear of being arrested. They weren’t wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity. They acted like they were under protection,” Chan Soveth said.

When he arrived at the scene, he was able to gather information from bystanders but, when he returned the following morning, no one would speak to him, he said. Silence permeates human rights groups in Cambodia. When asked who he thought was behind the killing, Chan Soveth declined to answer. “I want to continue living in Cambodia,” he said.

He believes the murders were intended to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the July general election, which the CPP won by a landslide. This view was widely promoted by Cambodian and international human rights groups who expressed outrage following the killing.

But SRP whip Son Chhay disputes that there was any link between the killings and the election. “It was not a political killing,” he said. “There was no order from the top of the CPP,” he said. “[Prime Minister] Hun Sen does not know who is behind the killings. If Hun Sen knew who was behind the killings, the FBI would not have been allowed to join the investigation.”

He added: “The FBI has been allowed in because the CPP believes they will be unable to find evidence of government involvement,” though he in no way suggests that the CPP has turned benevolent.

“Their behaviour, their totalitarian thinking is very much like the Khmer Rouge. Either you support the CPP or you are an enemy of the state. Killing opposition members is acceptable,” he said.

Son Chhay and Chan Soveth said they feared that the FBI was likely to be used by the Cambodian police to provide a veneer of legitimacy to what the latter described as a “sham investigation”.

Son Chhay noted: “They have this great ability to manipulate the international community and they will manipulate the FBI to make sure nothing happens [with the investigation].”

This is already happening, he said, pointing to a police statement published in the Cambodia Daily this month quoting Phnom Penh’s police commissioner as saying that an “FBI official had agreed that the killings were motivated by someoneseeking revenge against the journalist’s son”.

Senior police officers have suggested that the target of the killers was not Khim Sambo but his son.

In his initial report into the crime, Chan Soveth found no evidence thateither the father or the son were involved in a personal dispute that could have led to their murders.

US embassy spokesman John Johnson said he was aware that some human rights investigators had accused the local police of a cover-up. Because the investigation was ongoing, he said, he could not comment on the details of the case.

The FBI agents were playing a “purely supportive” role in the investigation at the invitation of the interior ministry, he said. Besides two investigators, who arrived on September 14, a forensic artist had arrived last week to assist localpolice with a sketch of the assailants, he added.

One day after meeting the FBI agents, Phnom Penh deputy police chief Hy Prou, who is in charge of the investigation, said there were no leads on a suspect and that the complexities of the case made investigating it difficult.

However, the fact that editor Dam Sith was interviewed for the first time after the FBI agents arrived could signal that the bureau is nudging the Cambodian police in a new direction – towards the articles Khim Sambo wrote before he was killed.

In an interview at his home last Saturday, Dam Sith said that one of the questions asked by the FBI agent, who was accompanied by a translator from the US embassy and two Cambodian officers, concerned the kind of articles Khim Sambo had written for him. He said he replied: “A lot of articles about different things.”

Dam Sith is a father with three young children. Since Khim Sambo’s killing he does not leave his home unless he has to. He looked like he had not slept in weeks and was in a highly nervous state.

In 2006, Hok Lundy was denied a US visa due to allegations that he was involved in drug and human trafficking. The following month, however, the FBI awarded him a medal for his efforts in fighting terrorism. In April last year, he was finally granted a US visa, to attend a counter-terrorism workshop.

Khmer Intelligence News - 10 October 2008

10 October 2008

Police's involvement in journalist Khim Sambo's murder (3)

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, October 3, 2008, gave some clues that might be helpful for any serious investigation into the recent murder in Phnom Penh of opposition journalist Khim Sambo. Press correspondent Vincent Maclsaac writes in his report, « In the June 28-29 weekend edition of the daily Khmer Conscience, which is affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (…), Khim Sambo (…) [mocked] the behaviour of a senior police officer described by many as "one of the most dangerous men in Cambodia". He reported on an incident that allegedly occurred (…) on June 25 at a casino complex at a border crossing with Vietnam in the town of Bavet in Svay Rieng province. After losing his shirt at Le Macau Casino and Hotel, the officer borrowed [money] from the casino, lost that, borrowed more - and lost again. When the casino manager refused to lend any more, he had him arrested by the junior [police] officers accompanying him, Khim Sambo reported (…). Several [sources] - all of whom requested anonymity, citing concern for personal security - said that Khim Sambo was writing about Cambodian National Police Commissioner Hok Lundy. »

Khim Sambo, 47, and his 21-year-old son Sarinpheatra were shot dead in broad daylight by unknown killers on July 11, 2008.

On May 18, 1996, journalist Thun Bun Ly was also shot dead in similar circumstances after mocking in opposition newspaper Khmer Ideal a few days before his death the wife of a powerful political leader.

Read South China Morning Post's whole article at http://tinyurl.com/3ed232

New evidence of massive election fraud on July 27, 2008 (2)

Over the last few weeks new evidence of fraud at the July 27, 2008 national election has been exposed. Fraud was systemic because the election was totally controlled by the ruling CPP through the National Election Committee (NEC). The evidence shown is related to manipulation of voter lists leading to a massive disenfranchisement of legitimate non-CPP voters and a broad mobilization of illegitimate voters to cast ballots for the CPP by using ghosts' names. These are two manoeuvres with far-reaching implications that most international election observers did not see because they took place before Voting Day and outside the polling stations.

As a result of the fraud, the last poll has obviously distorted the will of the Cambodian people.

Evidence of fraud is contained in three main documents:

1. "What election observers did not see in a rigged election" at http://tinyurl.com/6gw3rz
2. "Voter list cleaning (by the NEC) and political opponent cleansing (by the CPP)" at http://tinyurl.com/45mfpu
3. "International election observers must open their eyes" at http://tinyurl.com/52t3eg

No democratic government has congratulated the CPP following its landslide victory (2)

As of today, only the government of North Korea has sent a message of congratulations to the CPP and to Cambodia's new/old leaders following their landslide election victory on July 27, 2008. Democratic governments have refrained from doing so, possibly because of doubts about the election's integrity (see evidence of fraud exposed above) and reservations about the controversial "package vote" on September 25 whereby the legislative and executive branches of the government had their respective leaderships elected at the same time, through the same single vote!

Read a relevant press article in Khmer published today at http://tinyurl.com/3kcqkk

No position for Ranariddh (2)

Even though the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) has finally recognized and accepted the results of the July 27 election and declared that it is no longer an opposition party, Prince Norodom Ranariddh was not given any position in the new government. The NRP ex-President had thought that he could be appointed President of the Constitutional Council (replacing Ek Sam Ol) or Royal Palace Minister (replacing Kong Sam Ol). But the first position is a highly strategic one for the CPP and must be occupied by a CPP stalwart, and any pretender to the second position must have the support of the King, which does not seem to be the case for Prince Ranariddh.

Hor Namhong gave false information about Princess Nanette and Prince Sisowath Methavy (2)

French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, July 23, 1989, quoted [then Prince now] King Father Norodom Sihanouk as declaring, "Hor Nam Hong, former commander of a Khmer Rouge concentration camp [Boeng Trabek detention camp], is responsible for the death, after atrocious tortures, of many former members of the anti-American Resistance, such as my cousin Prince Sisowath Methavy, and his spouse [Princess Nanette], the elder sister of my wife [now Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk]."

Princess Sisowath Nanette arrived at Boeng Trabek camp in October 1977, directly from France, to join her husband Prince Sisowath Methavy who had returned to Cambodia since 1976, only one year after the Khmer Rouge take over. Following a short stay in Chraing Chamres, Prince Methavy was sent to Boeng Trabek camp in February 1977. Princess Nanette actually lived in Boeng Trabek camp for only six months before she and her husband were taken away to be executed in April 1978. This is confirmed by many surviving prisoners from the three sections of Boeng Trabek camp (B30, B31 and B32), who all confirm that they last saw Princess Nanette and her husband around the Cambodian New Year that took place in April 1978.

In an interview published in Khmer-language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea, April 23, 2008, Hor Nam Hong says the Sisowath couple lived with him "until the end of 1978" before being taken away and killed by the Khmer Rouge. However, surviving witnesses say that the Khmer Rouge had stopped taking away and killing Boeng Trabek prisoners since August-September 1978, when living conditions suddenly started to improve as the Pol Pot regime tried to mobilize all Cambodian forces to counter increasing pressure from Vietnamese troops.

The late CPP Justice Minister Chem Sgnuon, who was detained at Boeng Trabek camp until Vietnamese troops arrived in January 1979, used to tell many people how cruel Hor Nam Hong was when he was the Khmer Rouge-appointed camp chief. Chem Snguon avoided talking with Hor Nam Hong because of this bitter past.

US FBI agents assist Cambodian journalist murder investigation

September 22, 2008
ABC Radio Australia

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has sent two agents to Phnom Penh to assist in the investigation of the murder of opposition journalist Khim Sambo and his son.

The Phnom Penh Post quotes a US embassy spokesman saying the agents were assigned to Cambodia following a request from the Ministry of Interior, and that their role will be purely supportive of the Cambodian investigation.

He says the agents have no definite timeframe for their involvement and could stay until the investigation is complete.

Phnom Penh's Deputy Police Chief Hy Prou who is heading the investigation told the newspaper local police currently have no leads on a suspect and that the complexities of the case have made investigation difficult.

Khim Sambo was killed instantly after being shot twice in the back while riding on a motorbike driven by his son, who was also shot twice from behind and died later that night in a Phnom Penh hospital.

FBI Begins Probe of Journalist's July Murder

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
19 September 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

Phnom Penh police officials met with FBI agents on Wednesday to discuss how the US agency might help in an ongoing investigation into the murders of opposition journalist Khim Sambor and his son.

The two parties reviewed what the Cambodian police have discovered so far and how they will cooperate, said Hy Prou, deputy chief of Phnom Penh police.

"The main point of the meeting required research into how we should conduct the investigation and what we should do first," he said. "But this is a first step."

Khim Sambor, who wrote for the opposition Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, was killed on July 11, just two weeks before national elections. At least nine other journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, according to the rights group Licadho.

Two FBI agents arrived in Phnom Penh Sunday and will stay for as long as they are needed, US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said.

"They're here to assist in the investigation, depending on the needs of the Ministry of Interior and the Cambodian police that are investigating it," he said, declining to comment on the specifics of the investigation. "The FBI is here to assist in any way possible, and we certainly hope that through this cooperation that the perpetrator of this crime can be brought to justice."

Chan Soveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said Friday he had little confidence the FBI would be able to find the killer without performing an independent investigation.

"We want the FBI to research this case independently," he said. "If the FBI researches independently, we hope they will find the real killer. But if the FBI researches without independence, I have no hope they will find the real killers."

The FBI also investigated the 1997 grenade attack on a group of opposition supporters, he said, but the investigation yielded no results. In that attack, at least 16 people were killed and one American was injured.

"I don't want the FBI to investigate Khim Sambor's killing like they did in 1997," Chan Soveth said.

Dam Sith, the editor of Moneaksekar Khmer, who was jailed for a week ahead of elections, said he welcomed the collaboration between the FBI and the police.

"I wish to see the real facts and justice without falsehood," he said.

Khim Lenin, 30, the youngest brother of Khim Sambor, appealed to the FBI and the police to find "the real killers of my brother."

"I don't believe the previous report of the police, that the killing was involved with Khim Sambor's son," he said. "As I understand, his son was a good person and never committed any wrongdoings. The same for Khim Sambor."

FBI arrives to 'support' police probe

Friday, 19 September 2008
Written by Vincent Macisaac
The Phnom Penh Post

Two agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation arrived in Phnom Penh this week to assist in the investigation of the murder of opposition journalist Khim Sambo and his son, a US embassy official has confirmed.

US embassy spokesman John Johnson said the agents arrived on Sunday, following a request from the Ministry of Interior, and that their role would be "purely supportive" of the Cambodian investigation.

Johnson said the agents have no definite timeframe for their involvement and could stay until the investigation is complete.

Phnom Penh's Deputy Police Chief Hy Prou, who is heading the investigation, said his police officials met with the agents Wednesday to discuss the case.

He said police currently have no leads on a suspect and that the complexities of the case have made investigation difficult.

But Chan Soveth, a program officer with the Cambodian rights group Adhoc, expressed concern that the FBI was not taking a more aggressive role in the investigation.

"If the FBI cannot work independently, [their assistance] is just a political game," he said.

Chan Soveth arrived at the scene of the July 11 double homicide about 30 minutes after it occurred and has been investigating the killings ever since.

According to Chan Soveth's recently completed preliminary assessment, Khim Sambo's reporting for the Sam Rainsy-affiliated newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer had frequently prompted threats from powerful individuals.

Contradicting claims made by some government officials, Chan Soveth said he found no evidence that either Khim Sambo or his son were involved in a personal dispute that could have triggered the killings.

IF THE FBI CANNOT WORK INDEPENDENTLY [THEIR ASSISTANCE] IS JUST A POLITICAL GAME.

Khim Sambo was killed instantly after being shot twice in the back while riding on a motorbike driven by his son, Chan Soveth said.

His son was also shot twice from behind and died later that night in a Phnom Penh hospital.

"The perpetrators had no fear of being arrested. They weren't wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity," he said.

Chan Soveth said he was able to gather information from those present during the crime after he arrived at the scene.

When he returned the next morning, no one would speak to him.

Chan Soveth declined to say who he believed was responsible for the killings.
"I want to continue living in Cambodia," he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHEANG SOKHA

US Official Warns Against Border Violence

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
17 September 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio aired 16 September 2008
Click here to listen to the Khmer audio aired 17 September 2008

US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte warned Thailand and Cambodia against border violence in a continued military standoff, saying bilateral negotiations were the best way to resolve the crisis.

"We think that [bilateral negotiation] is the most effective way of dealing with this problem," Negroponte said, following a three-day visit to Cambodia this week. "And we think it's important that the use of force or coercion has to be avoided at all costs, because that would risk undermining some of the progress that has been achieved in the region in terms of peaceful economic development."

Prime Minister Hun Sen has said he will approach the UN Security Council and other multilateral avenues to solve a continued military standoff that began in July.

The visit of Negroponte, who is the second-highest ranking official in the US State Department, capped several years of warming relations between the two countries.

Negroponte said the inclusion of an FBI team in the investigation of slain opposition journalist Khim Sambor was another "positive" step.

"I think it's a welcome development, and we want to be as helpful as we can," he said.

Khim Sambor was shot dead with his son in Phnom Penh in July, just two weeks ahead of national elections. He is the 12th journalist to be murdered since 1993, and his killers have not been found.

Press Conference by Deputy Secretary Negroponte in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
September 16, 2008

QUESTION: When you talk about the 1.8 million in funding to the KRT, will it be contributed directly to the UN side or the Cambodian side – this is the first question. Secondly during you talk with the Prime Minister Hun Sen, did he ask for UN intervention on the issue of the border problem with Thailand.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: On the first question subject to correction by the Chargé d’affaires I believe that the contribution will be made to the UN side – the 1.8 million and I would stress again that this is an initial contribution and I think the important point about the contribution is that it represents a threshold contribution by the United States to provide material support to the tribunal.

Your second question I believe related to the dispute with Thailand over the temple, and what I would like to say here is that we think that this is a dispute a difference that should be resolved peacefully between Thailand and Cambodia and that it should be preferably resolved bilaterally between the two countries. We think that is the most effective way of dealing with this problem, and we think that it is important that the use of force or coercion be avoided at all costs because that would risk undermining some of the great progress that has been achieved in this region in terms of peaceful economic development.

QUESTION: Good morning Deputy Secretary – my name is Douglas from the Cambodia Daily and I’ll try and be brief. I have two questions regarding the Khmer Rouge tribunal. One was that as you well know there has been a congressional ban on funding the tribunal pending a finding by the State Department that the Cambodian judiciary is free and fair and that the court meets international standards. If you could tell us about that review – whether or not it has been completed.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Let me first say that my understanding is that that ban no long exists – it expired about two years ago. That would be the fist point – the second is that I think I’ll ask the Embassy to put out a fact sheet about the tribunal so that some of the details that I may not have complete mastery of can be made clear but I think what my point that I would make is that we believe that the conditions are both appropriate and opportune to make this contribution and we have been talking to our congress and those who are interested in the tribunal and I think there is generally a consensus that this is a good time to move forward in support of the tribunal.

QUESTION: Just quickly my second question concerned the fact that the funding for the court would soon expire this would appear to be one moment where donors have the greatest leverage to request changes in the court. Could you tell us how the US feels about the possible investigation of corruption claims in the court and any changes that need to be made?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well as I mentioned in my prepared statement we think it is important that the court be managed properly and we will certainly spare no effort on our part to ensure that not only our resources but the resources of the international community as a whole are put to good use and this is certainly one of the themes that we will be emphasizing with those concerned. There have been some issues about the management of the court but they have not risen to the level where we felt that it justified withholding any contribution to the court. We think it is a good time to go ahead, we’ll have as a result of that a voice along with the other donors and certainly when we see issues and problems we’re going to be sure that they are called to the attention of the right people.

QUESTION: Ker Munthit from AP – can you elaborate a little bit whether there will be conditions or a mechanism that the US will attach to the contribution to make sure that the money…

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: I think I said - at the risk of being repetitive I really believe that I’ve said all that I can say. If you want further background from the Charge d’affaires or the Embassy I would refer you to them after the press conference.

Question: Good morning to you sir – I am Madra from Reuters – sir you said Washington is going to fund 1.8 million for this year – will the US look to further contribute to the tribunal in the future?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Yes – I think that is our hope, it definitely is in our planning and we have included a proposal in the budget for future years that calls for continued contributions to be made to the court. That of course will require, any budget in any system requires the approval of the legislature but that is certainly the position of the executive branch so we’ll make this initial contribution but in future fiscal years we hope to be able to continue to make a contribution and hopefully even increase the size.

QUESTION: Hello sir – another quick question. Why the US want to give funds to the KRT now, why not before.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well I mean I think one of the reasons that was mentioned is there had been reservations in the past on the part of our Congress but I think the point to make here is first of all we have decided to go forward, and secondly I think that like many other people we think it is important that this tribunal be able to carry out its work and succeed. There have been a number of people arrested now who are awaiting trial. There is a trial that is about to take place perhaps as early as November. I had the opportunity to meet a Canadian prosecutor. So this seems to be a distinctly opportune moment to make an announcement about our contribution but I think the main thing is that we want to help this tribunal succeed, and we think it definitely has the chance to succeed.

QUESTION: Just today you met the opposition leader and what did you talk about with them and what about the compromise between the opposition leaders and Hun Sen’s government

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well I think it would probably not be very prudent of me to comment in any detail about questions that have to do with the relationship between the government and the opposition I did have a opportunity to meet with a couple of opposition leaders, those who had members elected to the national assembly and in the election that took place in July I also had a chance to meet with members of civic society both here and when I was up in Siem Riep. I think the point that I would make is that in July Cambodia had it’s fourth national election since 1993. You’ve had elections for a national assembly in 93, 98, 2003 and now in 2008 and this for a county that emerged from such difficult circumstances this is a very positive track record a very positive development and each of these elections have been progressively less violent and have been carried out under better and better conditions so we welcome that and we think that that bodes well it augers well for the future of Cambodian democracy.

QUESTION: Did you advise them to go to the swearing in ceremony in the palace?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Look – I didn’t offer any particular advice frankly. I listened more than I gave advice. I haven’t been to Cambodia in many many years and for me this was an opportunity to listen and learn about what is happening here and certainly it is not for me to give advice, specific tactical advice to the political actors here. We certainly favor democracy, we favor human rights, we support elections and we want them to be fair and free but I think that our concerns and the kind of advice we give is at a more general level than what is being suggested by your question.

QUESTION: Good morning, my name is (inaudible) – I would like to ask you could you please tell us about FBI progress in the investigation of the journalist’s killing in July, Mr. Kim Sambo from Monesekar Khmer?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Right – I’m aware of the fact that the FBI is cooperating with the Cambodian authorities in investigating this killing, and I think that is a positive thing I think it is a welcome development and we want to be as helpful as we can but I happen not to know what progress is being made and normally as you can appreciate even if I was aware of some of the details we would probably not reveal them at this stage because investigative matters are usually kept confidential until they are ready until the investigators or the investigative authority is prepared to make its findings public, so even if I did know any of the details it would not be appropriate for me to reveal them publicly. I think perhaps I’ll take one more question.

QUESTION: I’m from the Phnom Penh Post – for military relations between the US and Cambodian government – what further developments can we expect, and can we expect the US to provide lethal material to Cambodia.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: I think that the focus of our effort is in such areas as peacekeeping, support for peacekeeping efforts and we welcome Cambodia’s role in that, especially as I said in my statement they have been the beneficiaries of peacekeepers in the past, and they have peacekeepers in the Sudan. Demining efforts, perhaps some officer training in exchanges, so it’s that kind of focus that we have at this particular time. Another would be ship visits, visits by some of our naval vessels, we’ve had several in the past year and we can imagine, we can visualize those continuing and perhaps increasing but those would be the kind of areas in which we contemplate a military cooperation between the two countries. I want to thank you for this opportunity – ok – one last question.

QUESTION: Just would like to know will the White House invite Prime Minister Hun Sen. Is there any plan for that to happen?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well I’m not aware of any such plan and at the moment as you know we’re in the final stages of our own electoral campaign between now and the 4th of November and we will have a new administration in January so I would think that any possible meetings at that level and in Washington would probably have to wait till the next administration although I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that our leaders might meet one way or another during the course of some of the international meetings that are taking place between now and the end of this year.

Thanks you very much.

Released on September 16, 2008

Ministry Yet to Detail FBI Aid in [Khim Sambor's] Murder Case

Khim Sambo during his funeral ceremony (Photo: Xinhua)

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 August 2008

The Ministry of Interior has formed an "investigation committee" to determine how to move forward in the murder case of opposition journalist Khim Sambor, an official said Tuesday.

The ministry has received a letter from the FBI, but the investigation committee will decide how the FBI can help, said Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak told VOA Khmer.

The ministry has requested the help of the FBI, but US officials said this week they were still waiting for a specific responses on how the US agency might help the investigation.

"We're still waiting," former US ambassador Joseph Mussomeli told reporters before leaving the country Monday. "We are still awaiting from the police a list of exactly what they think they need from us."

"We have very good ideas of what they need from us, and we are sharing that as well," Mussomeli said.

The FBI could help, for example, through the use of a sketch artist or forensic specialists, US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said Tuesday.

Khim Sambor was shot dead in Phnom Penh on July 11, along with his son, two weeks ahead of national elections. No suspect has been arrested.

Dam Sith visiting the US

Dam Sith (R) at his release from jail (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

Formerly Jailed Editor Exits Cambodia

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
15 August 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

Dam Sith, the opposition newspaper editor who was jailed for a week in June, has left Cambodia temporarily, but not due to security concerns, officials said Friday.

Dam Sith left for the US last week at the invitation of opposition supporters there, Sam Rainsy Party Secretary-General Eng Chhay Ieng said.

He did not leave out of fear or intimidation, and he plans to return "soon," Eng Chhay Ieng said.

Dam Sith was jailed June 8 following an article he published in Moneaksekar Khmer that quoted opposition leader Sam Rainsy accusing Foreign Minister Hor Namhong of collusion with the Khmer Rouge.

Moneaksekar Khmer reporter Khim Sambor was killed a month after Dam Sith was jailed, on July 11, two weeks ahead of national elections.

Dam Sith had been editing the newspaper from the safety of his home since Khim Sambor's killing, which remains unsolved.

Justice for Slain Journalist: US Congressman

US Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
08 August 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

A US congressman warned this week the killers of opposition journalist Khim Sambor should be brought to justice.

"Whoever killed him needs to be held accountable," said Representative Christopher Smith, a Republican. If those who did the killing were under instruction from an official, "that individual needs to be held accountable as well."

Kim Sambor was gunned down with his son on a Phnom Penh street July 11, two weeks ahead of national elections. No one has been arrested in the murder, which opposition reporters said created a chilling effect on their coverage of the government and the ruling Cambodian People's Party.

The Cambodian people should not have to tolerate such unresolved murders, Smith said, calling on Prime Minister Hun Sen to "do everything to cooperate" and go "wherever" the investigation leads.

The US said earlier this week the FBI had been asked to help investigate the murder.

Smith, who works closely with human rights issues, said public officials should be open to criticism, "because that's how you hold them accountable."

"I don't like it when I am criticized, but I know it's part of a larger and very important principle," he said.

Twelve journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, but no suspects have been arrested in the crimes.

Cambodian police unsure if shot journalist was killers' target

Aug 6, 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - A joint inquiry by Cambodian police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the murder of an opposition journalist and his son is investigating whether the son and not his father was the real target, a senior official said Wednesday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the investigation had so far turned up few leads in the July 11 murders and police were ruling out nothing.

International condemnation followed the double shooting of 47-year-old Khim Sambo, a journalist for the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, which supports the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), and his son Khat Sarinpheata, 19, a university student, on a busy street in the capital.

The government's questionable human rights record and the proximity of the killing to national elections two weeks later led the SRP and rights groups, including New York-based Human Rights Watch, to point the finger at the government and demand answers.

'We are still wondering if this is a case of politics or not,' Sopheak said. 'Why would the killers have turned back after killing the father and then shoot the son if they only wanted to kill the journalist? We want to solve this as soon as possible.'

Witnesses said two men on a motorbike wearing baseball caps pulled up to the pair at about 7:30 pm and shot Sambo at close range before speeding away, only to return within seconds and shoot the previously unscathed son.

The FBI investigated a 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally led by Sam Rainsy in which at least a dozen people were killed and opposition leader Rainsy sustained minor injuries.

The report has never been released, despite SRP demands, and were the culprits not identified.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: FBI Part 1

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

FBI to Aid in Case of Murdered Journalist

By Ratana Seng
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 August 2008

The Ministry of Interior has accepted an offer of help from the FBI in investigating the pre-election murder of an opposition journalist, officials said Monday.

Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday had accepted the FBI's help in the case of Khim Sambor, and opposition journalist, and his son, who were both killed July 11 in a Phnom Penh shooting, two weeks before the national elections.

The cooperation met with approval from many Monday, but it remained unclear what role the US agency would play.

Kim Sambor's daughter, Kath Sarinda, 24, said she supported the cooperation.

"I hope that they will bring in the real killer, not the fake killer, like in the Chea Vichea case," she said.

Labor leader Chea Vichea was shot dead in 2004, and two men widely considered innocent each received 20-year prison sentences for the murder.

The US Embassy received an official request from the Ministry of Interior, , a US Embassy spokesman said. It was too early to speculate how the FBI might help, the spokesman, John Johnson, said.

The FBI will make the investigation faster, he said, because the FBI has more experience and resources.

Phnom Penh Police Chief Touch Naroth said he would be happy to work with the FBI in an investigation that is already underway.

Moneaksekar Khmer editor Dam Sith welcomed the aid of the FBI, and Adhoc director Thun Saray called it a "positive" signal.

If a killer is not found with the help of the FBI, public opinion will be more calm, Thun Saray said. The cooperation will be seen as an opening of the government to international police efforts, showing a greater will for Cambodia to find the killer.

Twelve reporters have been killed since 1994, but is the first time the FBI has helped in such an investigation.

FBI to aid Cambodia in probing murder of reporter

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government has accepted an offer of assistance from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in pursuing the July 11 murder of opposition party-affiliated journalist Khim Sambo and his son, national media said Monday.

The U.S. Embassy on July 14 offered the help to investigate the drive-by shooting on street and the Cambodian Interior Ministry officially accepted the offer late Friday evening, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily quoted embassy spokesman John Johnson as saying.

It was too early to provide details about how FBI would help in the investigation, he added.

Khim Sambo was part-time reporter for the Khmer Conscience News, which is closely related to the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. He used to write about the corruption acts of senior government officials of Cambodia.

FBI opened its Phnom Penh Legal Attache office on Feb. 1 inside the U.S. Embassy.

Khim Sambo's exchanged for Democracy - A Khmer poem by Yim Guechsè

Poem by Yim Guechsè (on the web at http://kamnapyimguechse.blogspot.com)

Cambodia calls in FBI to help find journalist's killer

Sat, 02 Aug 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia has called on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help find the killer of an opposition journalist and his son, who were gunned down last month during the the national election campaign, a government spokesman said Saturday. Police General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Interior Minister Sar Kheng, in the interests of transparency, had decided Friday to call in the FBI over the slaying of Khim Sambo.

"We want this to be public knowledge," Khieu Sopheak said.

The July 12 double slaying of 47-year-old Khim Sambo, a journalist for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer, and his teenaged son Khat Sarinpheata brought international condemnation.

Although the government has denied any knowledge of the killings, its questionable human-rights record has made it the target of suspicion from groups including the SRP - the second political party in the country - and New York-based Human Rights Watch.

The FBI also investigated a 1997 grenade attack on an SRP rally in which at least 16 people were killed and SRP leader Sam Rainsy sustained minor injuries. The culprits are still at large.

The ruling Cambodian People's Party won a landslide victory in Sunday's elections, but opposition groups have cited the killings, claiming they could have intimidated voters - a claim the government has angrily denied.