4 suspects arrested in the kidnapping of general’s daughter

The 4 arrested suspects (Photo: Samnang, Koh Santepheap)
Left: The alleged mastermind who is still on the run, Right: The 4 arrested suspects along with the confiscated car and motorcycle

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated form Khmer by Socheata

After paying the ransom to the kidnappers of the daughter of the Siem Reap military police (PM) chief, and after the young woman was released, the police launched a search for the kidnappers and they arrested 4 suspects. However, the $80,000 ransom money was taken away by two other suspects whom the police could not catch yet. The 4 arrested suspects were shown to the public by the PM police during a press conference held in the afternoon of 09 March 2009, at the Siem Reap province PM headquarters. General Hong Vinal, the PM chief for the entire country, told reporters that, besides the arrest of the 4 suspects, the police also confiscated a Toyota Camry car, a Wave motorcycle, two police lieutenant uniforms, a modified air gun, 5 hand phone sets, 3 plastic guns, as well as a number of other equipments. 16-year-old Morn Chariya, the daughter of General Morn Samon, the PM chief for the province of Siem Reap, was kidnapped by a group of people on 07 March, in front of her house located in Wat Bo village, Sala Kamroeuk commune, Siem Reap province, when she parked her car in front of her home.

$80,000 ransom for the release of the daughter of the PM general

Sunday, March 8, 2009
By DAP News
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Siem Reap – At 7:30PM on Saturday evening, a report from Siem Reap was provided to Deum Ampil news, indicating that Morn Chhaya, daughter of General Morn Samon, the military police (PM) chief for the province of Siem Reap, was released by the armed kidnappers. She returned home in the evening of 07 March 2009.

The source for the report indicated that the release was conducted after the kidnappers originally demanded for US$200,000 in ransom. However, negotiations were conducted between the family of the victim and the kidnappers. The negotiations were successful, but the exact amount of the ransom is not known for sure yet. Some sources indicated that the family begged the kidnappers (to lower the ransom amount) because they cannot afford to pay the original ransom amount asked.

At the last minute, the agreed ransom amount of $80,000 was not known (by the public), nevertheless, in the evening of 07 March, Morn Chhaya was seen arriving back at her home.

A source indicated that it is not known whether the released young woman was tortured or she was safe and sound at her return, but the family of the victim remained silent and they did not provide any information about their daughter’s kidnapping.

Prior to the released of the victim, a joint police force was actively conducting a search to help save the life of the treasured daughter of the PM general. But the police was not able to find the hiding location of the kidnappers, nor the location where they hid the general’s daughter.

An unofficial source indicated that, after armed men kidnapped Morn Chhaya, and until the morning of 07 March, the kidnappers called the family of the victim, and they demanded $200,000 in ransom. The police authority is attempting to hide the fact that negotiations were conducted between the kidnappers and the authority. Furthermore, the kidnappers also ordered the police to release one of their men who was arrested by the police on 06 March, the date where the kidnapping took place, in Puok district. Pressure from the kidnappers to release the arrested suspect, led the police to agree on the demand because it was concerned for the safety of the victim.

At around 1 PM of 06 March, two men wearing police uniform drove a Wave motorcycle and stopped in front of the house of General Morn Samon to buy cane juice to drink (along the side of the road). Nobody paid attention to these two police officers, but when the general’s daughter who drove her 2002 black Camry arrived home, she was about to get off her car to open the gate, then the two men who were drinking juice along the side of the road bolted in the direction of the car door, tied and gagged her mouth and forced her to sit in the back of car with one of the kidnapper, then they sped off leaving their Wace motorcycle on the spot of the incident. When they saw the incident taking place, neighbors ran into the victim’s house and told her mother, the incident was subsequently reported to the police which conducted an immediate search along the many roads in the province.

Half an hour later, information from Puok district indicated that one of the suspects was arrested along with the car belonging to the victim, but the victim was nowhere to be found.

Initially, the arrested suspect confessed that his group consists of 10 people, but only two of them took an active role in the kidnapping. The pair disguised themselves as police lieutenants. The other kidnappers were waiting for their accomplices at the Kolap Kraham (Red Rose) guesthouse. The suspect added that he drove the victim’s car alone to Puok district, and his action was taken to deceive the cops only. In reality, the kidnappers took the victim to Phnom Penh on National Road 6 in another dark grey Camry car instead. After receiving the confession from the suspect, the cops surrounded the Kolap Kraham guesthouse, but after their search, they did not find any other suspects. As for road surveillance along National Road 6 to Phnom Penh, nothing came out of it.

In the evening of 07 March, relatives of the victim came to visit Morn Chhaya who returned home after $80,000 in ransom was paid for her release.

Daughter of Military Police general kidnapped

06 March 2009
By Mayarith and Savyuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Today in Siem Reap, a hostage taking took place by a group of armed men right in the middle of Angkor city.

The group of unidentified armed men kidnapped the daughter of General Morn Samon, the military police (PM) chief in Siem Reap.

Today, provincial authorities are conducting search and rescue operations to save the general’s daughter.

RFA’s Savyuth report the case below.

Savyuth: At around 1:10 PM today, there was a hostage taking, the victim is the daughter of the PM chief in Siem Reap. The kidnapping was conducted by a group of 10 people, they kidnapped the PM chief’s daughter when she returned from school and she was about to drive her car into her house.

Mayarith: Did the authority sent out forces or take any action to (try to) release the woman?

Savyuth: Right now, the PM forces in the entire province are conducting search for the suspects, following the kidnapping of the woman. They have arrested one of the suspects, he drove the victim’s car to Puok district, about 20 km from Siem Reap city, According to the PM forces, they have questioned the arrested suspect, and they learnt that the group of kidnappers include 10 people, and the kidnappers are armed.

Mayarith: Is there is any preliminary indication about the motive for the kidnapping?

Savyuth: Up until 5:30 PM on 06 March, we still don’t know yet about the reason for this kidnapping, whether it is for ransom money or anything else, we don’t know yet because the PM forces are still searching everywhere. They closed all roads in and out of the province, and into Kampong Thom province, in Kralanh district in Siem reap province, all land roads and waterways. But, there is still no sign yet about the reason (for the kidnapping), even the arrested suspect cannot provide an answer to the authority yet.

The daughter of the PM chief in Siem Reap province, her name is Morn Srey Ya, she’s 16-year-old, she is currently studying at the Angkor high school, located in Siem Reap city. According to an eyewitness near the kidnapping location, he saw the kidnappers circling the house of the PM chief for several days already, some of them were wearing police uniforms, and they were conducting surveillance for about 2-3 days already, then the incident took place.

Mayarith: Which unit does the group of 10 people belong to? Is there any preliminary clue from the authority?

Savyuth: Up to now, according to information provided by the police, they did not reveal anything yet. They only said that the kidnappers used 2 cars: a 95 black Toyota Camry, and a new grey Toyota Camry, to kidnap the young woman and they took her inside one of the car, they did not take the victim’s car. One of the men drove the victim’s car, but he was arrested, but there is no information about his role among the group of kidnappers yet. Some of the police officers indicated that the kidnapper group has a clear strategy, they have a group that took the action, another group for changing cars to take away the victim, and another group of people who drove decoy cars to another direction. They left a black Wave motorcycle bearing the license N38 16PP1 at the location of the incident. Therefore, the group that conducted this kidnapping, they have their strategy and they have trained themselves properly.

Mayarith: So the young woman who was kidnapped has not been released yet?

Savyuth: Up until 5:30 PM today, there is no sign yet on the whereabout of the young woman, the police officers who are on the lookout for her, have not returned back yet.

General’s daughter kidnapping enters its second day

07 March 2009
By Khim Sarang
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

The kidnapping case in Siem Reap has entered its second day, starting from the incident date on Saturday morning.

Last night, a report indicated that a group of 10 armed men kidnapped the daughter of General Morn Samon, the military police chief in Siem Reap province.

Yesterday, the kidnappers forced the police to release one of their accomplices, and they threatened to kill the general’s daughter if their accomplice is not released.

A report from last night indicated that the authority had already followed the instruction ordered by the kidnappers, but the kidnappers have not released the general’s daughter yet.