B.C. aid worker dies in Cambodia [after violent mugging attack]

Jiri Zivny, an aid worker in Cambodia, died from his injuries on Thursday after he was attacked and left for dead last week. (Courtesy of Monty Aldoff)

Thursday, January 15, 2009
CBC News (Canada)

A Canadian humanitarian worker from Kamloops, B.C., has died from injuries sustained when he was robbed in Cambodia last week.

Jiri Zivny died at 5:15 p.m. local time Thursday at Phnom Penh's Calmette hospital, where he was being treated for severe head wounds, a doctor told his friend Evelyn Picklyk in an email.

Zivny was attacked after withdrawing money from a bank machine on Friday and left for dead on the street, his friend Monty Aldoff told CBC News on Tuesday.

Dr. Reid Sheftall, who was not personally treating Zivny but was looking in on the case, said he noticed Zivny's heart rate had been low earlier Thursday.

Turned life around to work with orphans

Zivny's friend Monty Aldoff told CBC Radio he wanted Zivny to be remembered as someone who turned his life around.

"He was one that went through many struggles in his life, but turned his life around and started doing worthwhile things in his life," Aldoff said.

Zivny was a member of a humanitarian mission that travelled to southeast Asia in mid-November, delivering medical supplies to orphans on behalf of the International Humanitarian Hope Society.

Most of the group returned to B.C. over Christmas. Zivny and another worker stayed on in Cambodia to work with the orphans for another month, members of the team told CBC.

Zivny's medical insurance had expired before the attack. News of his death came as Picklyk and others were trying to raise funds to bring him back to Canada for treatment.

Friends vow to continue charity work

As they try to deal with the tragic news, the group is now raising money to bring Zivny's body back to Canada,

"We are just, we are beside ourselves right now," said Aldoff.

But despite the horrific attack, the group still plans to continue working in South East Asia, he said.

"We believe our mission there is a worthwhile mission. For anyone who doesn't think so, they have to see the faces of these little children — the joy they get when we go to bring them gifts, and bring them food and medical supplies," said Aldoff.

B.C. aid worker left for dead after Cambodia attack

Aid worker Jiri Zivney was attacked in Cambodia on January 9, 2009

Tue Jan. 13 2009
Darcy Wintonyk ctvbc.ca (Canada)

A B.C. man is fighting for his life in Cambodia after a violent mugging.

Humanitarian worker Jiri Zivney was beaten, robbed and left for dead January 9 in Phnom Penh outside a bank machine.

"As he was riding away on his motorbike, they clubbed him in the head and he crashed his bike," family friend Monty Aldoff tells CTV News.

The 46-year-old was transferred by ambulance to a hospital in the capital city, where he is listed in critical condition. Doctors are working to stabilize him so he can be brought back to Canada for treatment.

According to the International Humanitarian Hope Society, the Kamloops resident was in the country delivering medical supplies to orphans on behalf of their agency.

Zivney was on his 24th day of a humanitarian trip to China, Vietnam, Thailand and Burma. Most of the other team members returned to Canada after the Bangkok airport shutdown in November, but Zivney and another team member wanted to carry on by land.

A trust fund has been set up in Zivney's name at Valley First in Kamloops, B.C., Account # 610071571 (transit # 27310-809).

Rumor mills: Little hope for DJ Ano to survive from the razor blades attack

07 Nov 2008
Rasmei Kampuchea
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Even though sources from the Cambodian police and from the court claimed that there is no information and no complaint about the razor blade torture perpetrated on TV presenter DJ Ano, several artists confirmed that “violence on DJ Ano did occur and she is currently in serious condition.”

Information about the razor blade attack on the entire body of DJ Ano was reported by the Sophorn and Procheaprey (Popular) magazines.

DJ Ano, whose birth name is Suon Pheakdei, is a well known presenter of TV3 station in Phnom Penh. She is not a very young star anymore, as she is now 27-year-old.

In its 16th edition published for the period of 02-15 November 2008, the Sophorn magazine reported that the wife of a high ranking official kidnapped her, had her head shaved and her face cut with razor blades because this wife was angry that DJ Ano had an affair with her husband. The magazine claimed that DJ Ano was sent to Vietnam and that there is little hope that she will survive the attack. The report did not provide details about where and when the almost fatal assault took place.

Chuon Narin, chief of the serious crimes in Phnom Penh, told Rasmei Kampuchea in the afternoon of 06 November that: “I heard this information also. My force went to do research on it, but there is no sure source that could confirm it up to now, and there is no complaint brought up about this case either.”

General Touch Naroth, Phnom Penh police commissioner, made the same statement also, and the Phnom Penh court claimed that there was no complaint about DJ Ano’s case.

Nevertheless, some artists claimed that DJ Ano who was attacked by razor blades has only about 20% chance of survival because she lost too much blood from the attack. However, these sources asked to remain anonymous.

Special artists from TV3 channel claimed that the attack on DJ Ano was perpetrated by the wife of high ranking official who ordered 3-4 of her bodyguards to kidnap DJ Ano and threw her in a car. At first, the bodyguards used razor blades to shave DJ Ano hair, they then proceeded to cut her face with the blades also. Later on, they cut her entire body from top to bottom with razor blades and even her genital part was not spared. The source added that DJ Ano was very seriously injured and her family rushed her out of the country for medical care.

All the sources consulted by Rasmei Kampuchea claimed that the razor attack on DJ Ano is 100% true, and some even gave the name of the country where DJ Ano was sent to for medical care. According to one group of sources, she would be sent to Malaysia, while a second group claimed that she was sent to Vietnam instead. It appears that information from the second group is more accurate because Rasmei Kampuchea received the news on 06 November that she was sent to Vietnam.

The source consulted by Rasmei Kampuchea indicated that, as of now, there is only 20% chance that DJ Ano will survive because she lost too much blood during the attack.

DJ Ano was born as Suon Pheakei, she used to have a love relationship with a Filipino man and a Thai man. After her breakup from her Filipino boyfriend, she was asked for marriage by a Cambodian expat living in the US. Following her breakup with her fiancé from the US, DJ Ano received a warning from a woman telling her to be careful because she may be splashed with acid. The Sophorn magazine claimed that prior to her liaison with the high ranking government official, she was linked to the owner of massage parlor.

DJ Ano did not have any relatives in Phnom Penh, and her house is Phnom Penh is unknown. But, a number of sources indicated that she had an adopted elder sister, and that this sister would be an important witness in this attack case.

Up to now, TV3 does not the whereabout of DJ Ano. Kong Socheat from TV3 claimed that DJ Ano did not come to the station for the past 2-3 weeks.

Liaison with a married man is believed to be the source of this violent attack case.