March 2nd 2007
DPA
Cambodian police were questioning six men detained on firearms charges in connection with the shooting of one of the country's most popular singers, local media said Friday.
The men, aged between 23 and 37, were arrested in Phnom Penh and the north-west city of Battambang and charged Thursday with illegal possession of a K-54 handgun before being remanded in custody, reported the Khmer-language daily Koh Santepheap.
The paper said police were now questioning them in regards to the shooting of singer, television presenter and sometime-actress Pov Panhapich, aged 24, on a busy city street exactly one week ago as she parked her car to walk to an English college she studied at.
It further alleged they had been linked to the motorbike witnesses identified at the scene of the crime and that police were now seeking eyewitness identification of at least two of the men.
Criminal police chief for the Ministry of Interior, Mok Chito, declined comment Friday, saying he was in a meeting.
The shooting shocked the country. Although attacks on women are not uncommon, often motivated by jealousy in a country where "second wives" are not uncommon, Panhapich's wholesome girl-next-door persona and her pure pop songs seemed to rule that out as a motive, according to police.
Police said the shooting was eerily similar to the attack on another singer, Touch Srey Nich, in 2003. Nich, however, had sung political songs including a royalist Funcinpec Party anthem and her shooting came just weeks before an election. Panhapich's work was a-political.
Panhapich remains in a hospital in Vietnam under police guard. Local media quoted her family as saying she was in a stable condition after being shot in the throat and hip at close range with a K-54 handgun, but remained paralysed.
She is the third prominent woman to be shot in Cambodia in recent years. National icon and classical dancer Piseth Pilika was shot in broad daylight in 1999 as she shopped for a bicycle with her young neice and died in hospital. Nich survived her 2003 attack but has never sung again.
No one has yet been arrested in any of these attacks.
The men, aged between 23 and 37, were arrested in Phnom Penh and the north-west city of Battambang and charged Thursday with illegal possession of a K-54 handgun before being remanded in custody, reported the Khmer-language daily Koh Santepheap.
The paper said police were now questioning them in regards to the shooting of singer, television presenter and sometime-actress Pov Panhapich, aged 24, on a busy city street exactly one week ago as she parked her car to walk to an English college she studied at.
It further alleged they had been linked to the motorbike witnesses identified at the scene of the crime and that police were now seeking eyewitness identification of at least two of the men.
Criminal police chief for the Ministry of Interior, Mok Chito, declined comment Friday, saying he was in a meeting.
The shooting shocked the country. Although attacks on women are not uncommon, often motivated by jealousy in a country where "second wives" are not uncommon, Panhapich's wholesome girl-next-door persona and her pure pop songs seemed to rule that out as a motive, according to police.
Police said the shooting was eerily similar to the attack on another singer, Touch Srey Nich, in 2003. Nich, however, had sung political songs including a royalist Funcinpec Party anthem and her shooting came just weeks before an election. Panhapich's work was a-political.
Panhapich remains in a hospital in Vietnam under police guard. Local media quoted her family as saying she was in a stable condition after being shot in the throat and hip at close range with a K-54 handgun, but remained paralysed.
She is the third prominent woman to be shot in Cambodia in recent years. National icon and classical dancer Piseth Pilika was shot in broad daylight in 1999 as she shopped for a bicycle with her young neice and died in hospital. Nich survived her 2003 attack but has never sung again.
No one has yet been arrested in any of these attacks.
8 comments:
Let's see it this way: this is an attack aimed not to kill but to paralyze. The person behind the attack wish to have the singer lives a painful, lingering-death life. Whatever their motives, it is an act to be deplored. There's an old saying that if you don't make trouble with others, others won't mess with you. I don't know if Povpanhapich is really innocent as claimed, but in Khmer society these days, a little mistake can go cost a lot.
All the best to the singer.
Cambodia the country rich of Khmer culture, since 1990 our culture are bound back until now there are
so many artist in our Kingdom. Khmer dance are so many difference style, which no other countries have. If we killing the artist, mean we killing our culture. Culture is our IDENTITY. Look to Lao used to have all most the same
like us, now is gone. Therefore we
must support our culture (I.D.)
to keep Khmer as Khmer.
Bati
What about have me enlisted a couple of Khmer FBI guys to probe the shooting incidenct?
A brave country (like the U.S.)will do it for an exchange of oil fields.
Knowledge is money!
She's a gold digger but instead of getting gold, she gets bullets.
I support you 10:21PM, But we must
keep the moral in Cambodia, which we have very little at this time.
I am glad that many Khmer come to KI Media to express their opinion. I hope more will join us.
Bati
to 10:37PM,
If you're going to make comparison, do it right. Looks like you're comparing metal, so it would be Gold & Lead, the correct analogy.
Did you know her background, don't be so judgemental? She hasn't any family members left. All DEAD! She worked hard to become a Singer and a pretty dawn good singer too.
It's so amoral to murder someone because she gains some reputation. If she is having an affair, then decision rests on her & a person involved. She's an adult.
Why are we (Khmers) going from here? Have we not stopped the killing in the name of Jealousy? In order to make our Society prosperous and Khmer culture survived the reaping of the neighbors's encroachment. We need to MOTIVATE EACH OTHER!
correction:
Where are we(Khmers) going from here?
To 12:42 am.
You're talking like a real politician, are you planning to replace Hun San one day? May your dream be realized one day. A lot of beautiful singers are waiting for you.
Post a Comment