Original report from Phnom Penh
25 November 2008
A UN representative for human rights has urged the Ministry of Interior to conduct an independent investigation into the death of a 24-year-old prisoner in Prey Sar prison last week.
“We are in contact with the department of prisons to encourage them to conduct an independent investigation to determine exactly what happened,” said Christophe Peschoux, country director of the UN Human Rights Office.
Heng Touch, who was arrested Sept. 26 on charges of chicken theft in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district, died after a week of hospitalization at Calmette.
Prison officials said he died after a suicide attempt, but family members and human rights investigators said they suspect he was abused while in detention.
Heng Touch’s skull was fractured and his body was bruised, according to family members and investigators for the human rights groups Adhoc and Licadho.
An autopsy at the hospital also indicated a fractured cranium.
“Firstly, it is the responsibility of the prison department to investigate all of the cases and clarify exactly what is the cause,” Peschoux said Tuesday. “We will follow the case, and we will try to establish the facts from our side.”
Ham Sunrith, deputy director of human rights monitoring at Licadho, said Tuesday his organization was conducting its own investigation.
Licadho has cited frequent violence in Cambodian prisons committed by guards against prisoners or violence between prisoners. In a 2007 report, Licadho said it received 29 accusations of prisoner abuse, including three from women.
Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but Mom Kimheng, director of Prey Sar prison, maintained that Heng Touch had attempted suicide.
An autopsy by the Ministry of Interior ruled out torture, he said.
“We are in contact with the department of prisons to encourage them to conduct an independent investigation to determine exactly what happened,” said Christophe Peschoux, country director of the UN Human Rights Office.
Heng Touch, who was arrested Sept. 26 on charges of chicken theft in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district, died after a week of hospitalization at Calmette.
Prison officials said he died after a suicide attempt, but family members and human rights investigators said they suspect he was abused while in detention.
Heng Touch’s skull was fractured and his body was bruised, according to family members and investigators for the human rights groups Adhoc and Licadho.
An autopsy at the hospital also indicated a fractured cranium.
“Firstly, it is the responsibility of the prison department to investigate all of the cases and clarify exactly what is the cause,” Peschoux said Tuesday. “We will follow the case, and we will try to establish the facts from our side.”
Ham Sunrith, deputy director of human rights monitoring at Licadho, said Tuesday his organization was conducting its own investigation.
Licadho has cited frequent violence in Cambodian prisons committed by guards against prisoners or violence between prisoners. In a 2007 report, Licadho said it received 29 accusations of prisoner abuse, including three from women.
Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but Mom Kimheng, director of Prey Sar prison, maintained that Heng Touch had attempted suicide.
An autopsy by the Ministry of Interior ruled out torture, he said.
11 comments:
This madness is like the second coming of pol pot with a new face, but hanoi is still behind it like the khmer rouge.
Khmer people around the world need to protest more offend then ever before for total self rule. A new regime need to be setup by khmer and the UN and not hanoi again.
PROTEST, PROTEST , PROTEST.
KHMR ORGANIZATION NEED TO SET UP THIS PROTEST SOON. KHMER PEOPLE CANNOT RELY ON THE CURRENT CPP REGIME.
What’s pathetic ! UN always accomplice with Khmer rouge against civilians in Cambodia. What happened in Cambodia is also the great political wills and leadership of UN toward tyrannical regime in Cambodia and around the world. UN can end the crime in Cambodia as they can endure it through many of its actions.
These people, the prison guards, most of them are inhumane. They don’t have the basic of human rights at all. They are psychotic, sick! They quickly forget how they were treated under the Pol Pot’s regime while evident still alive at Toul Sleng museum.
A cowboy of USA
Criminals like Ah Pleu-Oversea has no rights.
Ah Hun = Ah Pot it makes no difference.
Criminals like Ah Lop undersea 10:13am has no right either.
10:13AM - it sounds like you used to be a criminal yourself that got something to do with brutality to Khmer citizens. You murderer… asshole. Got no sympathy to victims at all. I hope you go to HELL with sinful you'd committed.
10:13 AM
is a Yuon dog who eat excrement from their master in Hanoi, and he likes that.
Every Human Has Rights. Even a Scam Hun Sen has rights, though, he might deserve to line up infront of the firing squad. But, ah Hun has rights.
Ah Scam Rainxy will be next!
The Yuon control the police, so violence is the daily bread.
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