Hun Xen's nephew-in-law invited to attend crime conference in the US: Uncle Sam wants to learn police BRUTALITY?!?!

Police BRUTALITY against Buddhist monks: Is this what the US police want to learn about?

Police BRUTALITY: Is this what the US police want to learn about?

Neth Savoeun, seen here at Hy Lung Doc's funeral, is the husband of Hun Sen's niece (Photo: Phnom Penh Post)

Police Invited to Annual Crime Conference in US

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
06 August 2009

Cambodia’s top policeman has been invited to an international counter-terrorism and organized crime conference in California, US and Cambodian officials said.

Representatives from 12 different countries are expected to attend the five-day conference, which begins Aug. 24, including Gen. Neth Savoeun, the national police chief, who a Web site for the conference said is scheduled as a guest speaker.

Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said Monday the ministry had made a decision “in principle” to send Neth Savoeun as head of a delegation, in an annual trip that used to be undertaken by the deceased former head of police, Hok Lundy.

Edward Yee, a police investigator in Orange County, Calif., and president of the Asian Gang Investigators Association of California, said the Cambodian police had changed plans several times on attendance.

“First they said they are coming, and then they said they are not coming, then they said they are coming, so I really don’t know,” he said. “What I will do, I can finally check with the FBI and make sure they are coming or not, and I will find out probably within the next two weeks.”

William Park, a detective supervisor in Los Angeles, Calif., said he was also unsure whether the Cambodians were coming.

“I do not know what is going on over there,” he said.

Park and Lee said the conference was meant to bring police together to share their experiences on international crime and terrorism.

“The purpose of the conference is to enhance knowledge and to network with local, state and federal and international law enforcement agencies from different countries,” Yee said.

Between 350 to 500 people are expected to attend the conference, which will be marking its 20th anniversary.

The annual conference proved a black eye for Hok Lundy, who was denied entry into the US in 2006 on suspicion he was involved with human trafficking. The police chief was allowed to visit the FBI in Washington in 2007.

Nice solutions to endemic problem "in theory", but only time will tell if they work

Cambodia to reform commune-level policing, border security in 2009

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian National Police Commissioner Neth Savoeun has pledged to reform commune-level policing and border security in 2009, said English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily on Tuesday.

One such reform would be establishing telephone hotlines to take complaints at municipal and provincial police headquarters and "national police will check up on the situation of the network and system of administrative police across the country," he told the annual national assembly of Cambodian police here on Monday.

In addition, boxes have been set up at all 76 commune police stations in Phnom Penh to accept comments and criticism from local residents, he said.

The system is still in trial phase, but will expand to all 24 provinces in 2009, he added.

Villagers must provide more feedback to both commune police and border police about illegal activities to help improve security, he said.

"We have to strengthen the border police and provide them with reasonable uniforms, camp equipment and training. We also need participation of villagers," he added.

During the meeting, it was made public that the kingdom's crime rate dropped by 23 percent in 2008 compared with the previous year, due to political stability, economic development and hard work of the police.

Hok Lundy loyalist tipped to become next police chief [-Neth Savoeun is Hok Lundy No. 2?]

General Neth Savoeun grieves at Tuesday’s memorial service for Hok Lundy. (Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN)

Thursday, 13 November 2008
Written by Sam Rith and Sebastian Strangio
The Phnom Penh Post

Neth Savoeun is only name on the shortlist, police brass say, but the official word has yet to come on his appointment

NATIONAL Police General Neth Savoeun is the most likely successor to top cop Hok Lundy, police officials said Wednesday, but said that no official appointment has been made.

"It is just a plan. It will not be official until a royal decree is released," said Teng Savong, deputy director of the National Police.

An assistant to Neth Savoeun who did not want to be named told the Post Wednesday that, while the appointment is widely expected, neither he nor Neth Savoeun had seen an order by King Norodom Sihamoni formalising the arrangement.

Hok Lundy was killed Sunday in a helicopter crash while flying to Svay Rieng province in bad weather. Mechanical failure, which officials say caused a fire, is the most likely cause of the mishap.

His death raised speculation of a power struggle within Cambodia's National Police, which Hok Lundy, a close ally and relative by marriage to Prime Minister Hun Sen, had commanded since 1994.

He was frequently the target of human rights groups, who accused him of a vast array of abuses, including human trafficking and murder. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Wednesday that Neth Savoeun was unlikely to be any better.

"[He] should be under investigation by the police, not be the National Police chief. He will almost certainly continue to politicise the work of the police," said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

"This is a very disturbing appointment."

Neth Savoeun, 52, who is married to Hun Sen's niece, joined the police force in the 1980s, rising to the post of Phnom Penh municipal police chief during the early 1990s and head of the Justice Department in the Ministry of Interior's Penal Crimes Division.

The CPP reminisces about its henchman

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng pins medals onto an effigy of Hok Lundy at his memorial serivce Tuesday. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)

Profile Hok Lundy

Born February 3, 1957
Where Svay Rieng province
Family Wife, Men Pheakday, two sons and two daughters

Career
Following the 1979 ouster of the Khmer Rouge regime, from which he fled in 1977, Hok Lundy rose rapidly through the ruling party ranks at both the provincial and national level. A former governor of Svay Rieng province, Hok Lundy became National Police commissioner in 1994 and was promoted to the CPP's Central Committee three years later.

Leaders reflect on top cop

Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Written by Kay Kimsong
The Phnom Penh Post

AS the country's leaders grappled with the sudden death of National Police Chief Hok Lundy at his Tuesday memorial, officials were divided on the legacy of the often criticised top cop.

On one side are Cambodian People's Party members who say that Hok Lundy served his country with distinction during a career stretching back to the 1970s.

On the other side are opposition lawmakers and human rights groups who point to unsolved political murders and alleged links to crime rings that they say cast a dark shadow on his tenure.

Hok Lundy and three others died in a helicopter crash Sunday night, and Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, said the death meant that the ruling party had lost a valuable asset who spent half a lifetime serving the nation.

"I can tell you, the CPP and all Cambodians have suffered a huge loss from Hok Lundy's death. I am very sad to lose him," he said.

"The police chief brought experience and skill to the police force and army, to which he dedicated his life since the 1970s," he added.

"[Hok Lundy] fought against the Khmer Rouge and helped bring peace and social stability to the country."

But opposition lawmaker Yim Sovan said the former police chief's tenure was marred by corruption and murder.

Controversial cop

He pointed to years of international criticism for Hok Lundy's suspected role in political killings and human trafficking as evidence of an unsavory past.

"There were many criminal cases and murders that happened [during Hok Lundy's time as police chief] against politicians and young female stars," said the Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian.

He added that none of the crimes have resulted in convictions.

He said he hopes the police chief position will be filled by someone who upholds the standard of law.

"I would like to call for a new top cop who can bring social safety and peace for people," he said.

Yim Sovan said he hopes the murders committed during Hok Lundy's term would be pursued in the same way that the UN and Cambodian government are bringing Khmer Rouge leaders to trial.

"Justice is a necessary tool for a developing country like Cambodia," he said.

There were many criminal cases and murders that happened [under hok lundy].

The Kingdom's top policeman was also regularly the target of human rights groups that criticised him as a brutal tactician.

Investigations into Hok Lundy's death, and the death of General Sok Saem, who was also in the helicopter, concluded that the crash was most likely caused by a mechanical failure.

About 40,000 police officers are now under the supervision of General Neth Savoeun, Hun Sen's nephew-in-law and deputy commissioner of the National Police.

"I strongly hope that Neth Savoeun will able to handle the new job," Cheam Yeap said.

He added that the CPP would be watching the police boss before deciding whether to promote him as Hok Lundy's successor.

Hun Sen Relative Tapped as Police Chief: Cambodia's Family Trees?

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
11 November 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

A police general who served under the late Hok Lundy and is an in-law of Prime Minister Hun Sen has been selected to lead the nation’s police force, following a deadly helicopter crash Sunday.

Gen. Neth Savoeun, who has served in the police as well as the Ministry of Interior and is married to Hun Sen’s niece, was officially decreed as national police chief late Monday.

The former chief, Hok Lundy, a powerful Cambodian People’s Party general who continually faced allegations of serious human rights abuses, died Sunday night, when a helicopter transporting him to his home province of Svay Rieng crashed.

“King Norodom Sihamoni officially signed the decree to appoint Gen. Neth Savoeun late Monday as the national police chief to replace Hok Lundy,” Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak said Tuesday. “I and all Cambodian police welcome the new appointment. Neth Savoeun has a lot of experience in the police.”

Neth Savoeun, 52, was police chief of Phnom Penh during the State of Cambodia, served as the head of the justice department in the Interior Ministry’s Penal Crimes Division after the 1993 elections, and recently became a deputy national police chief under Hok Lundy. He married Hun Sen’s niece, Hun Kimleng, in the early 1990s.

Contacted Tuesday, Neth Savoeun declined to comment on his appointment, saying he was busy with funeral ceremonies for Hok Lundy, who is scheduled to be buried in Svay Rieng’s Rumduol district Saturday.

“I’m not thinking about who [specifically] is appointed,” Chan Soveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc said. “But I want the person appointed as the new general of national police to have a good background, not to be involved in corruption, not be involved in human trafficking, or drug trafficking, or involved in killings. So I hope that the government has decided to appoint Neth Savoeun because his background is not involved in these.”

During his 14-year tenure as chief, Hok Lundy was accused of all these crimes, including collaboration in the 1997 grenade attack on opposition supporters, which killed 16 people, and extrajudicial killings during the 1997 CPP coup. He was denied US entry on suspicion of human trafficking in 2006, but had in recent years become an ally of the FBI for regional counterterrorism.

Under Hok Lundy, the national police force was routinely criticized for torture, corruption and abuse of power.

Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, said Neth Savoeun lacked qualifications.

“As I’ve known him before, he has not graduated from the Police Academy, and his rank comes from his relations to a high-ranking official, or nepotism,” said Kem Sokha, who was arrested by the national police in 2006 and spent 17 days in jail on charges of defamation.

Asked whether Neth Savoeun could reform the national police, Kem Sokha said, “I don’t think it depends on Neth Savoeun. Whatever the national police chief did before, it was dependent on the government. [Police] weren’t independently allowed to do anything.”

Police, CPP brass on top cop shortlist

Investigators from Cambodia's Civil Aviation Secretariat inspect the wreckage of the helicopter that was carrying National Police Chief Hok Lundy when it crashed Sunday night.

Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Written by Sebastian Strangio and Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

PM to announce Hok Lundy's replacement as police chief

OFFICIALS say they are unsure who will take the helm at the Kingdom's national police authority following Sunday's death of Police Chief Hok Lundy in a helicopter crash.

CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said Hok Lundy's replacement would be chosen from among Cambodia's eight deputy police commissioners and the members of the CPP standing committee as a matter of urgency.

"The CPP regrets the loss of Hok Lundy, but at the same time we have to consider a successor as soon as possible to ensure stability," he said, adding that Prime Minister Hun Sen would make the final decision on the appointment. "The body needs a new head."

Hok Lundy was killed Sunday night when his helicopter crashed in Svay Rieng province's Rumduol district, along with General Sok Saem and the craft's two pilots.

Deputy Commissioner Neth Savoeun, who is married to Hun Sen's niece, is expected to be first in line for the post and will serve as acting commissioner until a permanent appointment is made.

During his 14 years as National Police commissioner, Hok Lundy, whose daughter is married to Hun Sen's son Hun Manith, has been a controversial figure. International rights organisations have repeatedly accused him of involvement in drug trafficking and politically-motivated killings, allegedly committed during the factional fighting of July 1997.

In February 2006, the US State Department went so far as to deny Hok Lundy a visa to the United States on the basis of allegations he was involved in human trafficking.

But Human Rights Watch criticised the Federal Bureau of Investigation when it welcomed Hok Lundy to the US for counterterrorism talks in April last year, branding the police head "the absolute worst that Cambodia has to offer" and adding that "hardly anyone in Cambodia ... has shown more contempt for the rule of law".

Kek Galabru, president of the Cambodian rights group Licadho, said it was too early to say whether respect for human rights in the police force would improve under a new national commissioner.

"It depends on the person who will replace him, but it's difficult to anticipate. We'll have to wait and see," she said.

But Ny Chakrya, head of the monitoring section at Adhoc, said the appointment would have little impact.

"It does not depend on the personality of the man in charge, it depends on the system," he said Monday. "A new commander will make no difference. When the police system supports and respects human rights, then people will have faith in the police."

Cambodian government mourns police chief's death [-Hun Sen's nephew-in-law will serve as acting top cop]

Monday, November 10, 2008
The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia's government began preparations Monday for the funeral of the country's controversial national police chief, a close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen who was killed in a helicopter crash.

Police Commissioner-General Hok Lundy, 51, died Sunday night when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed in Svay Rieng province in southeastern Cambodia, apparently because of bad weather.

Hok Lundy had a reputation for ruthlessness as well as loyalty to Hun Sen, whose son, Hun Manit, is married to the late police chief's daughter, Hok Chendavy.

"His death was a great national loss and a profound sorrow for the police force," said police Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police force.

The pilot, co-pilot and a deputy commander of the Cambodian army were also killed in the crash, Khieu Sopheak said.

Last year, the New York-based group Human Rights Watch urged the U.S. government to cancel a visa issued to Hok Lundy to attend an FBI-sponsored conference on human trafficking, accusing him of having ordered an extrajudicial killing and involvement in drug smuggling and human trafficking. He attended the conference and was urged by State Department officials to make greater efforts to punish public officials, including police, involved in trafficking.

The U.S. had denied Hok Lundy a visa in early 2006 for reasons never made public.

Cambodian government officials dismissed the Human Rights Watch allegations as nonsense.

Khieu Sopheak said the Interior Ministry has set up a committee to organize a traditional Buddhist funeral for Hok Lundy.

Police Lt. Gen. Neth Savoeun - who is married to a niece of Hun Sen - will serve as acting commissioner-general of police, he said.

Hok Lundy's helicopter took off from the capital, Phnom Penh, at 7:20 p.m. on Sunday and lost contact with air controllers about 15 minutes later, Khieu Sopheak said. He said there was a "99 percent" chance that bad weather was responsible for the crash since it was raining at the time.

Mao Havannal, head of the Secretariat for Civil Aviation, said he sent investigators to the crash site but the cause had not yet been determined.