Cambodian villager stabbed in a murder attempt by a group of Viets

24 Dec 2010
By Ratha Visal
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Soch

One Cambodian man among two villagers was stabbed in a murder attempt by a group of about 6 Viets who are angry that this man reported their illegal logging activities inside Cambodian territories. The 6 Viets are living along the border with Cambodia.

The murder attempt took place in Village No. 2, B-12 commune, Gia Krai district, Gia Lai province, when the Cambodian men traveled there to buy rice from a Viet market.

One of the two Cambodian men added that the Viet authority in that area helped him from the murder attempt and sent him to the hospital, but, up to now, the local authorities in the two countries have not tried to find an agreeable resolution in this case yet. “They were trying [to attack me in the store], but they did not do it there. There were 6 of them. When I was putting the rice and the meat into the vehicle to bring back to village 2, they all started to beat me up and they stabbed me.”

Nong Darith, the Andong Meas district governor, indicated that the Vietnamese side helped intervene to arrest the culprits and to make arrangements to provide compensation to the victim already, but since there is no agreement on the amount of compensation yet, the issue has dragged on.

He added that the authorities from the two countries are looking for an arrangement to resolve this issue peacefully under the banner of friendship and cooperation between neighboring villages: “The resolution to this case cannot be found yet because our side demands too much money and their side don’t have money to pay. They agree to compensate us, and the [Viet] side has arrested the culprits also. We did all the work already, now we discussing about the compensation. We sent [the victim] for medical care, he is getting better already.”

Chhay Thy, an investigator for the Adhoc human rights organization for Ratanakiri province, confirmed that it is not just in Andong Meas district alone that the Viets came in to illegally log trees inside Cambodia, in fact in O’Yadaw district, there are also many cases of illegal logging by the Viets inside Cambodia as well, but for the past several years, the border defense authority was not able to put an end to these cases.

Chhay Thy added: “What the people reported in the past, they are indicators of these [illegal logging activities]. The local authority should take measures to find justice for the victims according to the law, under the aegis of human rights protection.”

In 2010, Adhoc in Ratanakiri province reported that at least 10 cases were reported by Cambodian ethnic minority groups living in Nhang commune, Andong Meas district, and in Pok Nhai commune in O’Yadaw district, indicating that small groups of 4 to 7 Viets sneaked inside Cambodia to log trees inside Cambodia and illegally transported them to Vietnam.

The Cambodian villagers accused the Cambodian cops of involvement in these illegal logging. The villagers called on the government to take strict measures in order to protect Cambodian forests and prevent the Viets from continuing to violate and pursue their illegal logging.

Heng Pov’s verdict to be announced on 22 April

Monday, April 21, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Koh Santepheap quoted an official from the Phnom Penh municipal court as saying that, on 22 April, the verdict for Heng Pov, the former Phnom Penh city police commissioner, and his group will be announced. The court did not issue a verdict during Heng Pov’s court hearing held on 28 March. The verdict will be handed down in the accusation made against Heng Pov for his participation in the murder attempt on Kim Daravuth, the director of the EdC office branch in Chak Angre Krom. The shooting committed during the murder attempt left Kim Daravuth paralyzed. Kim Daravuth accused Heng Pov and his gang of planning the murder and he asked the court to deliver the maximum sentence on Heng Pov and his gang. It is not known how many additional years of prison term Heng Pov will receive from tomorrow’s verdict.

Murder attempt against SRP activist in Svay Rieng

15 April 2008
By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

The victim, a SRP activist from Chambok commune, Svay Chrum district, Svay Rieng province, expressed his concern about his personal safety after he was able to escape from a murder attempt committed against him on 12 April.

Sum Mara, the SRP activist, told RFA on 15 April that, a few days after a group of people who could be CPP members hacked him and injured his nose, as well as stabbing his head and knocked him unconscious, the same group is now re-appearing and they have been showing up around his house every day. Sum Mara said: “The culprits whom I know their identity, came to survey my house everyday. I do not dare going out of the house. I am fearful and concerned, and I only informed the party provincial leaders, they said that they will come to visit, but they haven’t yet. Even if it is the New Year period, the local authority and the police which are in charge of protecting people, under such circumstances, they should come and ask or provide protection, and ask our opinion since we are the victims. I am saying that they are discriminating (against me). By what I know, the culprits who tried to kill me, they may be connected to the local police chief also. They live right next to the police chief.”

Uy Thorn, the Svay Chrum district governor, said that he did not know about the hacking of this SRP activist. Regarding the accusation that the murder attempt against the SRP activist was politically motivated, Uy Thorn rejected this accusation: “If the commune is not taking care of this case, bring it to the district level, I am always present at the district level”

Nevertheless, Seng Mardi, a SRP official from Svay Rieng province, claimed that this is a revenge case: “By what I understand, this is a revenge case, it’s not a political case.”

On Tuesday, RFA could not obtain clarification from the Chambok commune police chief because he could not be reached by phone.

On 12 April, at about 11:30 PM, Sum Mara claimed that a group of about 50 people armed with wooden sticks, steel rods and swords, came and circled him. They said that they would kill him to shut him up because he refused to accept a bribe from the CPP to join the CPP party.

Adhoc and Licadho human rights groups officials claim that they have not investigated this case yet.

Comfrel, an organization involved with the election, indicated in its March report that during the preparation for the 2008 general election, the number of threats against political activists has doubled in comparison to 2006, and the number of personal security cases has also increased in comparison to 2006, 29 such cases were reported, including cases involving SRP activists.

Heng Pov’s court case scheduled for 28 March

A crippled Kim Daravuth is seen wheeled into the court room in January (Photo: Koh Santepheap)

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The hearing for the court case for Heng Pov – the former Phnom Penh police commissioner who ordered 3 of his subordinates to shoot Kim Daravuth, the director of the EdC Chak Angre office, and crippled him until now – is scheduled on 28 March, after a delay of two months. The Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper reported that the accused in this case include Heng Pov whom the tribunal charge with collusion on murder attempt; Hang Vuthy, the other accused in this case, escaped from jail; Prum Sor Phearith, the former director of the light crimes office of the city of Phnom Penh; and Am Sam Kheng, aka Kong Sophal, the former crime police office of the Minitry of Interior. The latter three have been charged with murder attempt because of their involvements. The original hearing date was set on 28 January 2008, but, based on Heng Pov and his lawyer’s request, it was delayed to 28 March, two months later.

Human rights organizations investigate grenade attack in Anlong Veng

23 July 2007
By Sav Yuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A group of human rights organizations and the UN human rights office in Cambodia are currently conducting an investigation on the attack with explosive by unknown persons on the house of the community forest protection leader in Run village, Thlat commune, Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, on Monday 23 July.

The investigation took place one day after unknown persons used explosive to try to kill a family of 6.

Chan Soveth, an investigator for the Cambodia Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), who is conducting the investigation and talking to several witnesses at the location of the incident, concludes that the use of explosive to attack the house of Sat Savuth, the community forest protection leader, is related to his community activities to protect forests, lands and to defend human rights.

Chan Soveth said: “On the authority side, they think that because the victim knew the fact in advance, he could be creating the explosion by himself. We do not come up to this conclusion, but during the incident, 4 persons were seen by the activist: two of them were standing behind and two walked into the house.”

Kong Kheng, the 35-year-old wife of Sat Savuth, claimed that people actually wanted to kill her husband because of his community work to prevent illegal land-grabbing, and illegal logging in the area.

Kong Kheng said: “I am very concerned, I couldn’t sleep and I am restless. During his work, people threatened him, they want to persecute him also.”

On Monday, the group of human rights organizations in the country had expressed their concerns about the successive killings perpetrated on human rights activists and the group demanded that the authority arrest the culprits as well as their backers and bring them to justice.

Tes Soeum, the Anglong Veng police chief, said that on Monday, the authority had identified the culprits and they will be arrested soon.

Nevertheless, Tes Soeum claimed that the explosive attack was not related to the community forest protection activities: “This is a dumb thing (perpetrated) for some (unknown) reason.”

Human rights group claimed that Sat Savuth, the 42-year-old victim of the attack to kill him, used to be a community forest protection leader in Sandan district, Kompong Thom province. Those involved in illegal logging wanted to kill him once in 2005, and when he fled to live in Anlong Veng, he continued working for the community forest and land protection for the people again.

On Monday, the human rights group decided to take Sat Savuth, his wife, and his four children out to live in a safer place.

Military police colonel arrested for murder attempt on his servant

Colonel Chhor Dara during his arrest (Photo: Bun Nak, Koh Santepheap newspaper)

Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On Tuesday morning, the Phnom Penh municipal court issued an arrest warrant against Colonel Chhor Dara, the 44-year-old former commander of the military police in Kandal province, and currently transferred to serve the army headquarters. According to the Koh Santepheap newspaper, the colonel was arrested by the military police based on the arrest warrant issued by the Phnom Penh municipal court. He is charged with murder attempt on his domestic servant. The military police indicated that about 2 months ago, Chhor Dara used violence on his domestic servant and during the incident, the servant was injured to her head when a bullet grazed her. The injured servant brought her complaint to the court accusing Chhor Dara of intentionally attempting to kill her, the court then issued an arrest warrant against the colonel.