Murder Case Surrounding Death of Environmentalist Ready for Court

Chut Wutty was a prominent environmental activist whose work to stop illegal logging and deforestation earned him powerful enemies in the lucrative, illicit industry.

Chut Wutty was shot in the western province of Koh Kong, near an environmentally sensitive forest area he had spent much of his career trying to protect.

19.09.2012

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer

PHNOM PENH - Koh Kong provincial court will open a hearing early next month into the shooting death of environmentalist Chut Wutty and a military policeman in April.

One suspect, Rann Borath, the chief security guard for a logging company, has been charged with the accidental murder of Chut Wutty’s alleged killer, in a improbable scenario.

The court, which will open the hearing Oct. 4, says Rann Borath accidentally shot to death a military policeman, In Rattana, who was responsible for shooting Chut Wutty at a checkpoint in a remote forest of the province.

Water meters lead ‘money down the drain’ [-Ly Yong Phat is a bloodsucker in addition to being a land-thief]

CPP bloodsucker and land-thief Ly Yong Phat

Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

The sole provider of water and electricity in Koh Kong province’s Khemerak Phumin town, LYP group, was demanding that all rental buildings install water meters at exorbitant rates for the region, residents said yesterday.

Building managers sent intervention papers to provincial governor Bun Leut on July 25 saying that LYP was demanding the purchase of a US$127 water meter, a “high expense for us”.

Managers must also pay for the cost of the pipe and labour, so the total installation cost ranges from US$200 to $500. Ruling party tycoon Senator Ly Yong Phat owns the LYP group, which has a monopoly on the region’s energy supply.

Little Progress in Murder Case of Slain Activist

Chut Wutty, a prominent Cambodian anti-logging activist who helped expose a secretive state sell-off of national parks was fatally shot on April 25, 2012 in a remote southwestern province, FILE February 21, 2012.

27 July 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer

PHNOM PENH - Three months after the murder of environmental activist Chut Wutty, little forward progress has been made in the case.

Family members say they have heard little from the court that is supposed to be investigating his deadly shooting, even as they organize a 100-day funeral ceremony.

Chut Wutty was shot and killed April 26 in the Cardamom Mountains of Koh Kong province, as he escorted two journalists looking into illegal logging there. A military police official, In Ratana, was also shot and killed in the incident. A private security guard, Rann Borath, was arrested and accused of accidentally killing the In Ratana after the policeman killed Chut Wutty, but skeptics say the scenario was implausible.

“I am worried,” said Hun Rann, Rann Borath’s father. “But I don’t know what to do beside waiting for the trial.” He said he doubted his son was to blame for In Ratana’s death.

Findings of the Subcommitt​ee on Civil and Political Rights of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand on the Koh Kong Sugar Cane Plantation case in Cambodia

Preliminary Findings

Evidence gathered from the SCPR’s investigation so far allows for a reasonable belief that human rights principles and instruments were breached in this case, and that the Thai parent company is involved in the operations of its subsidiaries in Koh Kong, where these breaches took place. We identify breaches of the right to life and self-determination, in particular. The SCPR also identifies a failure to uphold the people’s right to development, which includes their right to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, and through which most other human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized. The SCPR has completed the investigation and is in the process of drafting the final report which will be endorsed by the NHRC in due course accordingly.

The Commission is a constitutional organization pursuant to the Constitution of Thailand B.E.2550 (2007) committed, under the democratic regime, to ensure that communities and their natural resources remain protected, and that various human rights principles are applied in meeting the economic, social and environmental pillars for fairness and sustainable development.

https://www.box.com/s/28d864a5109a8e66e81d

Bun Sokha set free in Koh Kong [-Another travesty of justice in Koh Kong?]

Bun Sokha (in towel), a deputy chief of staff in Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit, beats a man in a Koh Kong hotel last month with the help of bodyguards. Photograph taken from a security video screengrab.

Tuesday, 10 July 2012
The Phnom Penh Post

Koh Kong Provincial Court “quietly and hurriedly” released former Hun Sen assistant Bun Sokha and his three accomplices yesterday morning, but hadn’t announced whether the four were found guilty of assaulting four men in a Koh Kong hotel in April, NGO representatives said.

Sokha, 38, the former deputy chief of staff of Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit, and three members of his entourage confessed in court on July 5 to brutally beating the four victims – an event that was caught on a hotel security camera and later posted on YouTube – however, even police said they were clueless as to the verdict.

“I was informed that they were brought to the court to hear the verdict and after that they are free. They are not in prison,” said provincial minor crimes police chief Lay Menglaing. “I have not received a copy of the verdict so I could not tell more,” added Menglaing, whose office preliminarily charged and gathered evidence against the defendants.

Cambodians impoverished because of EU scheme

Landless Cambodians See Nothing Sweet in EU... by tvnportal
http://dai.ly/MwZIfL

10 Jul 2012
AAP

An EU scheme to boost trade with developing nations is fuelling land grabs in Cambodia, activists say, with thousands evicted from their properties to make way for a booming sugar industry.

Campaigners are taking their fight to European supermarkets, encouraging a boycott of Cambodian sugar, which they claim is often grown on land snatched illegally from rural farmers.

Yi Chhav said she had no choice but to return to her family plantation to work for the sugarcane grower that took her land, toiling for about $US1.50 ($A1.46) a day in the sea of swaying emerald green plants that swallowed her rice paddies.

"If we say there's no way we'll go to work in the sugarcane plantation then what will we have to eat? There's no work," said the 68-year-old widow in south-western Koh Kong province.

"How can we survive?" she said, adding that the irregular work makes her feel like a "slave" and her low income has forced her to pull her teenage daughter out of school.

Hun Sen's ex bodyguard and three others confess crime [... but no verdict yet]

(Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Friday, 06 July 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

Yesterday's trial of former Hun Sen assistant Bun Sokha and his three accomplices saw all four confess to brutally beating four victims in a Koh Kong hotel, an incident that was captured on security camera and uploaded to YouTube, NGO officials attending the trial said.

Sokha, 38, the former deputy chief of staff of the prime minister’s bodyguard unit; his bodyguards, Sum Veasna, 37, and Meng Chheangly, 21; and driver Sum Chhaya, 25, admitted their guilt, but Koh Kong Provincial Court judge Huon Many did not render a verdict, saying it would be announced at a later date.

“The four accused accepted what they did wrong and asked for a reduced sentence,” In Kongchit, provincial co-ordinator for the rights group Licadho, said.

មីង...រួចម៉េច​ក៏​​មក​ស្ទូង​ជាប់​ជណ្តើ​រផ្ទះ​អ៊ី​ចឹង​? Aunty, why are you planting rice seedlings next to your stair case?

03 July 2012
ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៍

ស្ត្រី​ម្នាក់នេះគាត់​កំពុង​ស្ទូង​ស្រូវ នៅ​ជាប់​នឹងជណ្តើ​រផ្ទះ​របស់​ខ្លួន នៅ​កន្លែង​តាំង​ទី​លំនៅ​ថ្មី ក្នុង​ស្រុក​គិរី​សា​គរ ខេត្ត​កោះ​កុង​កាល​ពី​​ចុង​សប្តាហ៍​មុន​។ គ្រួ​សារ​ស្ត្រី​រូប​នេះ ស្ថិត​ក្នុង​ចំណោមពល​រដ្ឋ​រាប់​រយ​គ្រួ​សារ​ផ្សេង​ទៀត ដែល​បង្ខំ​ចិត្ត​រើ​ផ្ទះ​​ចាក​ចោល​ភូមិករ ដី​ស្រែ​​ចម្ការ​របស់​ខ្លួន​ក្នុង​ឃុំ​កោះ​ស្មាច់ ​​តាម​ការ​តម្រូវ​របស់​អា​ជ្ញា​ធរ​ ដើម្បី​យក​ដី​ឲ្យ​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​ចិន​។ អ្នក​ភូមិ​​ថា អា​ជ្ញា​ធរ​មិន​បាន​ចែក​ដី​ស្រែ​ជូន​ពួក​គាត់​​តាម​ការ​សន្យា​ទេ។ រូប​ថត ជី​វ័ន
Woman planting rice seedlings next to her stair case at her new home in Kiri Sakor district, Koh Kong province at the end of last week. Her family is among those who were force-evicted by the authority from their village in Koh Smach commune. The village land was given to a Chinese company. At their new location, the villagers claimed that the authority did not provide land for them to plant rice. (Photo: Chivoan, The Phnom Penh Post)

Koh Kong pagodas threatened [-Buddha will be evicted from Koh Kong soon]

People pray in front of a Buddha statue at the Kiri Kongkear pagoda, in Koh Kong province's Botum Sakor district. The pagoda, as well as the Prek Smach primary school, were ordered closed by local authorities to make way for a development being carried out by the Union Development group. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post

Monday, 02 July 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

The premier [Hun Xen] would be “destroying himself” if the order was not implemented, because villagers would lose confidence in him

Prak Thon says he will give up everything to stop a Chinese company from destroying his pagoda in Koh Kong province’s Kiri Sakor district.

“I’ll allow them to demolish my house, but I will not allow them to destroy the pagoda. I’m satisfied if I die, because it is my religion,” the villager said over the weekend.

The pagoda, which he said villagers built in Koh Sdech commune’s Prek Smach village in 1993, is threatened by a US$3.8 billion development by Union Development Co Ltd on two concessions that amount to more than 45,000 hectares in Botum Sakor and Kiri Sakor districts.

The departure of some 700 volunteer students on Friday, sent by Prime Minister Hun Sen to measure land across the country for villagers affected by land disputes, has not alleviated the fears of Thon and his neighbours that they will soon be evicted because of this project.

Thon is worried that despite a June 14 nationwide order by the prime minister for provincial governors to measure land for all villagers affected by economic land concessions, many will still be left without homes.

“I was happy when I heard the prime minister say that if it affected the site, the authorities had to cut land for the villagers,” he said.

Buddha will be evicted next to make place for a Chinese company: The cause of Regress

02 June 2012
KI-Media

Today edition of the Phnom Penh Post reported that the next victim of eviction will be Buddha. Yes, Buddha, as in the statue in a pagoda!

According to the Post, Prek Smach village pagoda located in Koh Sdech commune, Kiri Sakor district, Koh Kong commune will be destroyed to make way for a land concession for the Chinese company Union Development Co. Ltd.

Prak Thon, a villager from Prek Smach, said: "I’ll allow them to demolish my house, but I will not allow them to destroy the pagoda. I’m satisfied if I die, because it is my religion"

There goes another broken promise by Samdach Hoon Xhen. His commie background and that of the Chinese company do show up after all: they are both Thmil (Atheist).

For a full report, please read The Phnom Penh Post

CCHR Koh Kong Report

https://www.box.com/s/2989ab98cdec05242531


https://www.box.com/s/accc1c318c41e33bd654

ក្មេង​ស្រី​ម្នាក់​ត្រូវ​ក្រុម​គ្រួសារ​ធ្វើ​ទារុណកម្ម​ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ​នៅ​កោះកុង

កុមារី​អាយុ ១៣​ឆ្នាំ​ម្នាក់ ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​កេង​ប្រវ័ញ្ច​កម្លាំង​ពលកម្ម និង​ធ្វើ​ទារុណកម្ម​ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ ដូច​ជា​យក​ ចាន ឆ្នាំង អំបោស​វាយ​ក្បាល យក​ពូថៅ​ដំ​ក្រចក​ដៃ​ផ្ទាប់​លើ​ឥដ្ឋ​ជាដើម។ ករណី​នេះ​កើត​ឡើង​នៅ​ភូមិ​៤ សង្កាត់​ដងទង់ ក្រុង​ខេមរភូមិន្ទ ខេត្ត​កោះកុង។


2012-05-29
ដោយ ជិន ជេដ្ឋា
Radio Free Asia

ក្រុម​អង្គការ​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស និង​មន្ទីរ​កិច្ចការ​នារី​ខេត្ត នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២៩ ឧសភា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ បាន​ធ្វើ​អន្តរាគមន៍ និង​បើក​ការ​អង្កេត​បន្ថែម​លើ​ករណី​នេះ។

មន្ទីរ​កិច្ចការ​នារី សមាគម​អាដហុក (Adhoc) និង​មជ្ឈមណ្ឌល​ថែទាំ​សុខភាព​កុមារ អេច.ស៊ី.ស៊ី (HCC) នៅ​ខេត្ត​កោះកុង កំពុង​តែ​រៀបចំ​ឯកសារ​ឲ្យ​កុមារី​រង​គ្រោះ​ឈ្មោះ ប៊ុន សុខអ៊ី ដើម្បី​បាន​ត្រឡប់​ទៅ​ស្រុក​កំណើត នៅ​ស្រុក​មោងឬស្សី ខេត្ត​បាត់ដំបង វិញ នា​ចុង​សប្ដាហ៍​នេះ។

បន្ទាប់​ពី​បាន​លួច​រត់​លើក​ទី​មួយ​មិន​បាន​សម្រេច កុមារី​រងគ្រោះ​បាន​សម្រេច​ចិត្ត​លួច​រត់​ជា​លើក​ទី​២ នៅ​ព្រឹក​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​២៨ ខែ​ឧសភា ដោយ​ទៅ​សុំ​ឡាន​គេ​ជិះ​នៅ​បេនឡាន​ក្រុង​ខេត្ត​កោះកុង ប៉ុន្តែ​ត្រូវ​បាន​ម្ចាស់​ឡាន​បដិសេធ។ នៅ​ពេល​នោះ​កុមារី​មាន​ទឹក​មុខ​ស្លេកស្លាំង និង​ភ័យ​ស្លន់ស្លោ ទើប​ម្ចាស់​ឡាន​នាំ​នាង​ឲ្យ​ទៅ​ជួប​សមត្ថកិច្ច​ដែល​កំពុង​ប្រចាំការ​នៅ​ទី​នោះ ដើម្បី​សួរ​នាំ បន្ទាប់​មក​សមត្ថកិច្ច​ក៏​បញ្ជូន​​ទៅ​កាន់​មន្ទីរ​កិច្ចការ​នារី​ខេត្ត​កោះកុង។

អ្នកស្រី ឡុង សុម៉ាម៉េត អនុ​ប្រធាន​មន្ទីរ​កិច្ចការ​នារី​ខេត្ត​កោះកុង។ អ្នក​ស្រី​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា មន្ទីរ​មិន​បាន​ចាត់​វិធានការ​ផ្លូវ​ច្បាប់​ណា​មួយ​ទៅ​លើ​ជន​ដែល​ធ្វើបាប​ក្មេង​នោះ​ទេ ដោយ​សារ​តែ​អត់​មាន​ភស្ដុ​តាង ឬ​ស្លាកស្នាម និង​សាក្សី​គ្រប់គ្រាន់​ក្នុង​ការ​ដាក់​បន្ទុក​ទៅ​លើ​ជន​សង្ស័យ៖ «ដោយ​សារ​ក្មេង​ស្រី​ហ្នឹង​ជា​ក្មេង​មួយ​ដែល​រស់​នៅ​ក្នុង​គ្រួសារ​ក្រីក្រ ហើយ​មក​រស់​នៅ​បង​ស្រី​ក្មេង​ហ្នឹង អ៊ីចឹង​មក​ហ្នឹង​ដូច​ថា មាន​ការ​ធ្វើ​ការ​ផ្លូវ​ចិត្ត ផ្លូវ​កាយ​មួយ​ចំនួន ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ក្មេង​ហ្នឹង​មាន​ការ​លះបង់​សម្រេច​ចិត្ត​រត់​ចេញ​ពី​ពី​ផ្ទះ»។

Villagers turn to leaflets in hope of intervention

(Photo by Chundy Huon)

Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Mom Kunthear
The Phnom Penh Post

More than 200 villagers locked in a years-long land dispute with a sugar company owned by senator tycoon Ly Yong Phat lined national road 48 yesterday, distributing leaflets to motorists and threatening to block the road next month if their situation is not resolved.

The villagers, who hailed from Chikor Leu commune in Koh Kong province’s Sre Ambel district, have been protesting against Ly Yong Phat’s Koh Kong Sugar Company since their violent eviction in 2006, when their land was bulldozed, and two villagers were reportedly wounded by gunfire from security forces.

The villagers’ representative, An Hai Ya, said yesterday that the 220 families wrote the leaflet about their tribulations to alert the public to their situation.

“That is the way to share their problem with everyone after they tried to protest many times to ask for resolution from the government, the company and the authorities,” he said, noting that villagers distributed more than 500 petitions.

Chut Wutty witness had eyes elsewhere

A woman carries a photograph of slain environmental activist Chut Wutty at his funeral in Kandal province last month. Chut Wutty was gunned down in Koh Kong province on April 26 of this year. Photograph: Will Baxter/Phnom Penh Post

Tuesday, 29 May 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

Another witness to the fatal shooting of prominent environmentalist Chut Wutty and military police officer In Rattana has said he did not see who shot the men after testifying in Koh Kong provincial court yesterday.

Puom Ravin, a 37-year-old employee of the logging firm Timbergreen said he was looking the other way when heard gun shots at Veal Bei point in Modul Seima district’s Bak Klang commune on April 26, and then turned around to discover both men dead.

“I don’t know who shot those two people dead,” he said, adding that it sounded like Chut Wutty’s leg then fell on the accelerator of the car he was inside of, causing the engine to rev,” he said.

He added that, in total, there had been seven people at the crime scene who he later learned were Chut Wutty, In Rattana, a man only known as Chhorn, So Sopheap, Ran Borath and two journalists.

Chikhor Leu Villagers' Gathering on 28 May 2012

Under all-day raining, more than 100 villagers in Chikhor Leu village/commune,Srae Ambel district of Koh Kong get together by the National Road 48 to distrute their appeal leaflets to the passers-by for their attention to all stakeholders including the companies (Koh Kong Sugar and Koh Kong Plantation) and the government to give them proper solutions to their lengthy land dispute.

(All Photos by Chundy Huon)

Additional photos are available here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.351730204892898.77967.100001677649119&type=1

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Chut Wutty slaying puts Timbergreen logging in spotlight

A facility for processing yellow vine pictured on Friday at a location in Koh Kong province's Mondul Seima district where the Timbergreen company has stockpiled luxury wood. Photograph: May Titthara

Monday, 14 May 2012
May Titthara
The Phnom Penh Post

Community activists and conservationists commemorating slain environment activist Chut Wutty on the weekend used the occasion to shed light on what they allege are the shadowy practices of a logging company in the southwestern Cardamom forests.

Activists amongst the hundreds of people who travelled to Koh Kong province’s Mondul Seima district discovered a yellow vine processing facility, which are generally prohibited under Cambodia’s forest law, at the premises of the firm Timbergeen.

But Suwanna Gauntlett, CEO of the conservation group Wildlife Alliance, which monitors the area where Timbergreen is licensed to clear the reservoirs of the Lower Stung Russey Chrum dam site, said the company had a permit to process yellow vine there.

“This [processing area] is right next to the reservoir, and it’s for yellow vine coming from the reservoir and they have licence for that from the Forestry Administration,” she said.

More Koh Kong compensation

Bun Sokha (in towel), a deputy chief of staff in Prime Minister Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit, beats a man in a Koh Kong hotel last month with the help of bodyguards. Photo taken from a security video screengrab.

Wednesday, 02 May 2012
Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post

A day after three of four men allegedly beaten by Hun Sen aide Bun Sokha and his bodyguards withdrew their complaints, the wife of the most seriously injured of the group said he has joined his fellow victims in accepting compensation.

Tim Sokheng, wife of Phat Sokha, the fourth victim in the attack that took place last week in Koh Kong, said her family decided to accept $5,000 to treat her seriously injured husband and leave the case in the hands of the court.

But neither she nor her husband were certain if their complaint had been withdrawn, as they had not dealt directly with the court themselves.

Chut Wutty's wife says he was target for murder

(Photos by James C Stephens on Flickr)

Friday, 27 April 2012
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
The Phnom Penh Post

The wife of slain environmental activist Chut Wutty today rejected early police accounts of the circumstances around his shooting death, saying she believed he had been targeted for death for his work in protecting Cambodia’s endangered forests.

Speaking to the Post by phone, 40-year-old Sam Chanthy, said that her husband had been at the exact site of his death in Koh Kong province little more than a month ago, where he had been in conflict with military police officers as he attempted to examine a cache of illegally logged timber.

“I think there were third persons involved with my husband’s killing. They prepared a plot to kill him because his work was affecting their interests.

“Those people were not happy with my husband and his work …so they planned to kill him when he went there again,” she said, referring to Veal Bei Point in Mondul Seima district’s Bak Khlang commune.

Illegal logging in Koh Kong province: An interview with Chut Wutty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG5f-K4joa4

Cambodian environmental campaigner shot dead by police

Chut Wutty is said to have angered many influential people while campaigning for Cambodia's forests

26 April 2012
BBC News

A leading Cambodian environmentalist who investigated illegal logging has been killed in a confrontation with police, officials say.

Chut Wutty was shot dead while travelling in a threatened forest region in the south-west.

Details of the incident are unclear, but police say an officer was also killed in the exchange.

Mr Wutty had been helping indigenous people organise protests against the exploitation of protected forests.