Police pay family of murdered SRP activist [-$1,350 for a life?]

Monday, 23 March 2009
Written by Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post

THE boss of a policeman wanted for the murder of an opposition party activist in Kampong Cham province earlier this month has paid compensation in a bid to have the case closed, said the victim's commune Chief Prak Vanny.

Prak Vanny said the family of the victim, 45-year-old Van Veth, had come to his office last week accompanied by Nhek Sony, the police chief of Battalion 617, to request that the commune chief sign to acknowledge the payment.

Van Veth, who was an activist with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party in Choam commune, was shot dead on March 4 in broad daylight by In Pheang, a policeman in Battalion 617. In Pheang has since been on the run.

Prak Vanny said police chief Nhek Sony had paid the family 5.5 million riels (US$1,350). However, the commune chief said the payment was irrelevant since the killing was a criminal case and would have to go to court.

"Nhek Sony took five-and-a half million riels to pay the victim's family and tried to close the case. They asked me to sign it and acknowledge this deal, but I refused," the Sam Rainsy Party commune chief said. "On behalf of the authorities, I must follow the legal route. I cannot compromise and close the case."

The Post on Sunday was unable to reach Nhek Sony for comment. But the provincial police chief, Nuon Samin, claimed the cash payment was to cover the family's funeral expenses as the investigation is ongoing. "My police are seeking to arrest the perpetrator," he said.

Provincial head of investigations at the rights group Licadho, Bu Vireak, said compensation could not terminate a criminal case.

SRP Activist Chopped 10 Times With An Axe [-It's that time of the year again: political murder before the election]

SRP official's reaction to police measure

03 April 2008
By Lim Pisith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
On the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com

A Sam Rainsy Party activist from O’Khmum village, Sdao commune in Ratanak Mundol district, Battambang has been hacked 10 times with an axe and is now in a critical condition.

Cheat Sineath, 24, had been attacked at 12 midnight on the 28th of March. The attacker was identified as Ouch Kosal. Mr. Heng Sochea, father of the victim complained that, despite the attacker had been identified the police refused to arrest him.

Mr Heng said: “In the morning the police in Sdao commune had asked me to pay them for the petrol. We lodged a complaint on the afternoon of 29th but they only arrested the suspect at 20:30 PM on the 30th, but later that day the suspect was released.”

The chief of Ratanak Police, Mr. Lim Sern, dismissed the accusations by saying that: “There is no clear evidence to the allegations to charge the suspect. It is only an allegation from the witness without concrete evidence, corroborated between the victim and the witness and then made the allegations. It is very hard for us to charge the suspect. So, we have to provide justice to all concerned, but we will send the suspect to the prosecutor soon.”

President of the human right organisation LICADHO, Battambang branch, Mr. Soun Tek, said that if the police did not seek warrant for the arrest of the suspect it would allow the suspect a chance to escape. He said: “I have observed that when the people reported the case to me that they have lodged a complaint to the police, the police said that they will arrest the suspect tomorrow and when tomorrow comes, they another tomorrow.”

It must be noted that as the July election draws near, political violence increased, as in the case with every previous election.