Showing posts with label Opposition journalist murdered. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opposition journalist murdered. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Murdered reporter's family: police probe not transparent [-Police: Blame delays on Hok Lundy's death -sic!-]
Khim Sambo and his son's funeral (Photo: RFA)Tuesday, 02 December 2008
Written by Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post
A lack of information into the investigation of Khim Sambo's death has raised fears about its progress, family members, monitors say
FAMILY members of slain opposition journalist Khim Sambo and his 18-year-old son have expressed anger at the lack of transparency in the investigation of their deaths.
"It is really unjust for the victim. The relatives of the victims never receive any information on how [the investigation] is going," Khim Laurent, Khim Sambo's brother, told the Post Monday. He added that he had never received information from police on the state of the investigation.
Chan Soveth, a monitor for rights group Adhoc, said that despite repeated requests for information, he had also been shunned, with police declining to reveal any details of the case.
"We do not know how it has developed so far," he said. "We have asked for information, but police have tried to hide it from us."
Khim Sambo, who wrote for Moneaksekar Khmer, a daily paper affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, was gunned down while on a motorbike with his 21-year-old son Khat Sarinpheata outside the Olympic Stadium.
Phnom Penh deputy police commissioner Hy Prou, who is in charge of the investigation, said that the probe was progressing but had been slow because of delays caused by the Water Festival and the death of the National Police Chief Hok Lundy.
"We have not completed our work yet," he told the Post Sunday.
John Johnson, a spokesman for the US embassy, said that the FBI, which joined the investigation in August, was making progress. "The investigation is ongoing," he said via email Monday.
FAMILY members of slain opposition journalist Khim Sambo and his 18-year-old son have expressed anger at the lack of transparency in the investigation of their deaths.
"It is really unjust for the victim. The relatives of the victims never receive any information on how [the investigation] is going," Khim Laurent, Khim Sambo's brother, told the Post Monday. He added that he had never received information from police on the state of the investigation.
Chan Soveth, a monitor for rights group Adhoc, said that despite repeated requests for information, he had also been shunned, with police declining to reveal any details of the case.
"We do not know how it has developed so far," he said. "We have asked for information, but police have tried to hide it from us."
Khim Sambo, who wrote for Moneaksekar Khmer, a daily paper affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, was gunned down while on a motorbike with his 21-year-old son Khat Sarinpheata outside the Olympic Stadium.
Phnom Penh deputy police commissioner Hy Prou, who is in charge of the investigation, said that the probe was progressing but had been slow because of delays caused by the Water Festival and the death of the National Police Chief Hok Lundy.
"We have not completed our work yet," he told the Post Sunday.
John Johnson, a spokesman for the US embassy, said that the FBI, which joined the investigation in August, was making progress. "The investigation is ongoing," he said via email Monday.
Friday, October 17, 2008
FBI continues to investigate [on Khim Sambo's killers]
Friday, October 17, 2008
ABC Radio Australia
ABC Radio Australia
Two FBI agents who where helping Cambodian police investigate the murder of a Cambodian journalist have been sent home.
Human Rights organisations say their departure is a negative development in efforts to find his killers.
Presenter: Claudette Werden
Speakers: Vincent Brossel, Reporters without Borders; John Johnson, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer
WERDEN: Khim Sambo was riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by his son when he was shot dead at close range. His son was also shot while cradling his dying father and later died in hospital. The killings occured just before Cambodia's general elections in July, then the theory was the journalist has been killed to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the elections. At the time, the US government offered the services of the FBI. Then a second theory emerged saying the murders were linked to a personal dispute. But now a different story is emerging, just prior to his death Khim Sambo had written a critical article about Cambodia's police chief. Vincent Brossel from Reporters without Borders explains.
BROSSEL: Khim Sambo was working for an Opposition newspaper and he wrote a sensitive article about this police chief going to a casino and spending thousands and thousands of dollars and arresting the casino manager because the casino manager refused to give him more money so of course we have to be careful but that's something the investigation should clear . Vincent Brossel from Reporters without Borders .
WERDEN .Two weeks ago a story appeared in the South China Morning Post commenting on that article and providing a different theory for the journalist's murder. In that article Human Rights group speculate the killers, who were also riding a motorcycle had no fear of being arrested as they weren't wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity.
BROSSEL: The fact the FBI was involved in the investigation and now they're withdrawn after such a news article, so it means there is a big suspicion that there is a cover up of this case and once again we fear in Cambodia it will be impossible to know who are the killers and the masterminds of the killing.
WERDEN: Were they told to withdraw or they chose to withdraw?
BROSSEL: That's what we don't know, the US government is not very clear on this but I guess they feel that the investigation is not going on the right track.
WERDEN: The US government says its an ongoing investigation and it won't comment on the return of the FBI agents. But John Johnson the Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh has been quoted as saying he's aware of human rights groups concern of a police cover-up.
JOHNSON: The FBI has provided a range of support to this investigation and we have somebody in country who continues to provide support when needed. Those two FBI agents were providing a different aspect of support, once their particular jobs were completed then they left the country, but that doesn't mean the FBI has completely withdrawn
WERDEN: Can you tell me what kind of support they were providing?
JOHNSON: No, actually this is again an open investigation and we don't comment on specifics.
Human Rights organisations say their departure is a negative development in efforts to find his killers.
Presenter: Claudette Werden
Speakers: Vincent Brossel, Reporters without Borders; John Johnson, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer
WERDEN: Khim Sambo was riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by his son when he was shot dead at close range. His son was also shot while cradling his dying father and later died in hospital. The killings occured just before Cambodia's general elections in July, then the theory was the journalist has been killed to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the elections. At the time, the US government offered the services of the FBI. Then a second theory emerged saying the murders were linked to a personal dispute. But now a different story is emerging, just prior to his death Khim Sambo had written a critical article about Cambodia's police chief. Vincent Brossel from Reporters without Borders explains.
BROSSEL: Khim Sambo was working for an Opposition newspaper and he wrote a sensitive article about this police chief going to a casino and spending thousands and thousands of dollars and arresting the casino manager because the casino manager refused to give him more money so of course we have to be careful but that's something the investigation should clear . Vincent Brossel from Reporters without Borders .
WERDEN .Two weeks ago a story appeared in the South China Morning Post commenting on that article and providing a different theory for the journalist's murder. In that article Human Rights group speculate the killers, who were also riding a motorcycle had no fear of being arrested as they weren't wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity.
BROSSEL: The fact the FBI was involved in the investigation and now they're withdrawn after such a news article, so it means there is a big suspicion that there is a cover up of this case and once again we fear in Cambodia it will be impossible to know who are the killers and the masterminds of the killing.
WERDEN: Were they told to withdraw or they chose to withdraw?
BROSSEL: That's what we don't know, the US government is not very clear on this but I guess they feel that the investigation is not going on the right track.
WERDEN: The US government says its an ongoing investigation and it won't comment on the return of the FBI agents. But John Johnson the Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh has been quoted as saying he's aware of human rights groups concern of a police cover-up.
JOHNSON: The FBI has provided a range of support to this investigation and we have somebody in country who continues to provide support when needed. Those two FBI agents were providing a different aspect of support, once their particular jobs were completed then they left the country, but that doesn't mean the FBI has completely withdrawn
WERDEN: Can you tell me what kind of support they were providing?
JOHNSON: No, actually this is again an open investigation and we don't comment on specifics.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
In Cold blood
Hok Lundy prior to his departure for a visit to the US (Photo: AFP)
A woman prays in front of a portrait of journalist Khim Sambo, who was murdered along with his son in a Phnom Penh street on July 11. Police, who are being aided by the FBI, say they have no suspects in the case. Photo: AFPFRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2008
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (Hong Kong)
The circumstances surrounding journalist Khim Sambo’s murder point to official involvement, writes Vincent MacIsaac
“When they lose, and cannot borrow more from the casino, they arrest the casino owners,” he wrote under one of his numerous pseudonyms, Srey Ka, in the June 28-29 weekend edition of the daily Khmer Conscience, which is affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP).
However, Khim Sambo – whose own anger needed to be “toned down”, according to a former colleague – went further than most, mocking the behaviour of a senior police officer described by many as “one of the most dangerous men in Cambodia”.
He reported on an incident that allegedly occurred – SRP newspapers are often accused of fabrication or exaggeration – on June 25 at a casino complex at a border crossing with Vietnam in the town of Bavet in Svay Rieng province.
After losing his shirt at Le Macau Casino and Hotel, the officer borrowed from the casino, lost that, borrowed more – and lost again. When the casino manager refused to lend any more, he had him arrested by the junior officers accompanying him, Khim Sambo reported.
He went further, describing how the officer stacked the deck: “When he loses US$100,000, the casino returns US$50,000. But he plays until losing the returned money, and demands to borrow more. If any casino owner dares to say ‘no’, he threatens to arrest him.”
Khim Sambo did not identify the officer by name but dropped enough hints so that when he concluded his report by stating “there is no need to name [the CPP gamblers] because everyone in Cambodia knows who they are”, he assumed readers would be able to identify the officer, a source said.
“He did not think he had put himself in danger because he did not identify the officer by name,” the source said on condition of anonymity. Several others – all of whom requested anonymity, citing concern for personal security – said that Khim Sambo was writing about Cambodian National Police Commissioner Hok Lundy.
The former governor of Svay Rieng province has been at the top of Cambodia’s police force since 1994. “There is hardly anyone in Cambodia who has shown more contempt for the rule of law than Hok Lundy,” Human Rights Watch has said. He “represents the absolute worst Cambodia has to offer”, it said.
“We believe the killing is related to that article,” Son Chhay, the whip of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party claimed, though he declined to identify the subject of the article.
The editor of Khmer Conscience, Dam Sith, who had been jailed on defamation charges in June, said he knew nothing about the article when interviewed by phone last Thursday.
That day, he was interviewed by one of the two agents from America’s FBI, said to be “supporting” their Cambodian counterparts in the investigation.
“I told them I don’t know anything about who is behind the killing, and that I hope they find who it is,” he said.
Chan Soveth, a programme officer at the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, warned that “if the FBI cannot work independently [their assistance] is just a political game”.
He arrived at the scene of the double homicide about 30 minutes after it occurred at about 6.30pm on July 11 and has been investigating ever since. He fears the police are protecting the perpetrators rather than trying to solve the crime.
Khim Sambo, 47, bled to death on the side of a busy street in central Phnom Penh, minutes after being shot twice in the back while riding a motorcycle driven by his son Khat Sarinpheata. The young man died the next day in a Phnom Penh hospital, after being shot twice while cradling his dying father, said Chan Soveth.
The killers, two men on a motorbike who approached Khim Sambo and his son from behind, were probably hired assassins, he said, pointing out that they used a K-49 pistol with a silencer.
“They had no fear of being arrested. They weren’t wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity. They acted like they were under protection,” Chan Soveth said.
When he arrived at the scene, he was able to gather information from bystanders but, when he returned the following morning, no one would speak to him, he said. Silence permeates human rights groups in Cambodia. When asked who he thought was behind the killing, Chan Soveth declined to answer. “I want to continue living in Cambodia,” he said.
He believes the murders were intended to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the July general election, which the CPP won by a landslide. This view was widely promoted by Cambodian and international human rights groups who expressed outrage following the killing.
But SRP whip Son Chhay disputes that there was any link between the killings and the election. “It was not a political killing,” he said. “There was no order from the top of the CPP,” he said. “[Prime Minister] Hun Sen does not know who is behind the killings. If Hun Sen knew who was behind the killings, the FBI would not have been allowed to join the investigation.”
He added: “The FBI has been allowed in because the CPP believes they will be unable to find evidence of government involvement,” though he in no way suggests that the CPP has turned benevolent.
“Their behaviour, their totalitarian thinking is very much like the Khmer Rouge. Either you support the CPP or you are an enemy of the state. Killing opposition members is acceptable,” he said.
Son Chhay and Chan Soveth said they feared that the FBI was likely to be used by the Cambodian police to provide a veneer of legitimacy to what the latter described as a “sham investigation”.
Son Chhay noted: “They have this great ability to manipulate the international community and they will manipulate the FBI to make sure nothing happens [with the investigation].”
This is already happening, he said, pointing to a police statement published in the Cambodia Daily this month quoting Phnom Penh’s police commissioner as saying that an “FBI official had agreed that the killings were motivated by someoneseeking revenge against the journalist’s son”.
Senior police officers have suggested that the target of the killers was not Khim Sambo but his son.
In his initial report into the crime, Chan Soveth found no evidence thateither the father or the son were involved in a personal dispute that could have led to their murders.
US embassy spokesman John Johnson said he was aware that some human rights investigators had accused the local police of a cover-up. Because the investigation was ongoing, he said, he could not comment on the details of the case.
The FBI agents were playing a “purely supportive” role in the investigation at the invitation of the interior ministry, he said. Besides two investigators, who arrived on September 14, a forensic artist had arrived last week to assist localpolice with a sketch of the assailants, he added.
One day after meeting the FBI agents, Phnom Penh deputy police chief Hy Prou, who is in charge of the investigation, said there were no leads on a suspect and that the complexities of the case made investigating it difficult.
However, the fact that editor Dam Sith was interviewed for the first time after the FBI agents arrived could signal that the bureau is nudging the Cambodian police in a new direction – towards the articles Khim Sambo wrote before he was killed.
In an interview at his home last Saturday, Dam Sith said that one of the questions asked by the FBI agent, who was accompanied by a translator from the US embassy and two Cambodian officers, concerned the kind of articles Khim Sambo had written for him. He said he replied: “A lot of articles about different things.”
Dam Sith is a father with three young children. Since Khim Sambo’s killing he does not leave his home unless he has to. He looked like he had not slept in weeks and was in a highly nervous state.
In 2006, Hok Lundy was denied a US visa due to allegations that he was involved in drug and human trafficking. The following month, however, the FBI awarded him a medal for his efforts in fighting terrorism. In April last year, he was finally granted a US visa, to attend a counter-terrorism workshop.
"They had no fear of being arrested. They weren’t wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity" - Chan Soveth, of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development AssociationTwo weeks before he and his 21-year-old son were shot dead, Cambodian journalist Khim Sambo reported on a not uncommon topic in opposition-affiliated newspapers. When gamblers from the upper echelons of the ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP), accompanied by armed bodyguards or police, have prolonged losing streaks, it sometimes erupts in anger and even violence.
“When they lose, and cannot borrow more from the casino, they arrest the casino owners,” he wrote under one of his numerous pseudonyms, Srey Ka, in the June 28-29 weekend edition of the daily Khmer Conscience, which is affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP).
However, Khim Sambo – whose own anger needed to be “toned down”, according to a former colleague – went further than most, mocking the behaviour of a senior police officer described by many as “one of the most dangerous men in Cambodia”.
He reported on an incident that allegedly occurred – SRP newspapers are often accused of fabrication or exaggeration – on June 25 at a casino complex at a border crossing with Vietnam in the town of Bavet in Svay Rieng province.
After losing his shirt at Le Macau Casino and Hotel, the officer borrowed from the casino, lost that, borrowed more – and lost again. When the casino manager refused to lend any more, he had him arrested by the junior officers accompanying him, Khim Sambo reported.
He went further, describing how the officer stacked the deck: “When he loses US$100,000, the casino returns US$50,000. But he plays until losing the returned money, and demands to borrow more. If any casino owner dares to say ‘no’, he threatens to arrest him.”
Khim Sambo did not identify the officer by name but dropped enough hints so that when he concluded his report by stating “there is no need to name [the CPP gamblers] because everyone in Cambodia knows who they are”, he assumed readers would be able to identify the officer, a source said.
“He did not think he had put himself in danger because he did not identify the officer by name,” the source said on condition of anonymity. Several others – all of whom requested anonymity, citing concern for personal security – said that Khim Sambo was writing about Cambodian National Police Commissioner Hok Lundy.
The former governor of Svay Rieng province has been at the top of Cambodia’s police force since 1994. “There is hardly anyone in Cambodia who has shown more contempt for the rule of law than Hok Lundy,” Human Rights Watch has said. He “represents the absolute worst Cambodia has to offer”, it said.
“We believe the killing is related to that article,” Son Chhay, the whip of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party claimed, though he declined to identify the subject of the article.
The editor of Khmer Conscience, Dam Sith, who had been jailed on defamation charges in June, said he knew nothing about the article when interviewed by phone last Thursday.
That day, he was interviewed by one of the two agents from America’s FBI, said to be “supporting” their Cambodian counterparts in the investigation.
“I told them I don’t know anything about who is behind the killing, and that I hope they find who it is,” he said.
Chan Soveth, a programme officer at the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, warned that “if the FBI cannot work independently [their assistance] is just a political game”.
He arrived at the scene of the double homicide about 30 minutes after it occurred at about 6.30pm on July 11 and has been investigating ever since. He fears the police are protecting the perpetrators rather than trying to solve the crime.
Khim Sambo, 47, bled to death on the side of a busy street in central Phnom Penh, minutes after being shot twice in the back while riding a motorcycle driven by his son Khat Sarinpheata. The young man died the next day in a Phnom Penh hospital, after being shot twice while cradling his dying father, said Chan Soveth.
The killers, two men on a motorbike who approached Khim Sambo and his son from behind, were probably hired assassins, he said, pointing out that they used a K-49 pistol with a silencer.
“They had no fear of being arrested. They weren’t wearing helmets and made no attempt to disguise their identity. They acted like they were under protection,” Chan Soveth said.
When he arrived at the scene, he was able to gather information from bystanders but, when he returned the following morning, no one would speak to him, he said. Silence permeates human rights groups in Cambodia. When asked who he thought was behind the killing, Chan Soveth declined to answer. “I want to continue living in Cambodia,” he said.
He believes the murders were intended to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the July general election, which the CPP won by a landslide. This view was widely promoted by Cambodian and international human rights groups who expressed outrage following the killing.
But SRP whip Son Chhay disputes that there was any link between the killings and the election. “It was not a political killing,” he said. “There was no order from the top of the CPP,” he said. “[Prime Minister] Hun Sen does not know who is behind the killings. If Hun Sen knew who was behind the killings, the FBI would not have been allowed to join the investigation.”
He added: “The FBI has been allowed in because the CPP believes they will be unable to find evidence of government involvement,” though he in no way suggests that the CPP has turned benevolent.
“Their behaviour, their totalitarian thinking is very much like the Khmer Rouge. Either you support the CPP or you are an enemy of the state. Killing opposition members is acceptable,” he said.
Son Chhay and Chan Soveth said they feared that the FBI was likely to be used by the Cambodian police to provide a veneer of legitimacy to what the latter described as a “sham investigation”.
Son Chhay noted: “They have this great ability to manipulate the international community and they will manipulate the FBI to make sure nothing happens [with the investigation].”
This is already happening, he said, pointing to a police statement published in the Cambodia Daily this month quoting Phnom Penh’s police commissioner as saying that an “FBI official had agreed that the killings were motivated by someoneseeking revenge against the journalist’s son”.
Senior police officers have suggested that the target of the killers was not Khim Sambo but his son.
In his initial report into the crime, Chan Soveth found no evidence thateither the father or the son were involved in a personal dispute that could have led to their murders.
US embassy spokesman John Johnson said he was aware that some human rights investigators had accused the local police of a cover-up. Because the investigation was ongoing, he said, he could not comment on the details of the case.
The FBI agents were playing a “purely supportive” role in the investigation at the invitation of the interior ministry, he said. Besides two investigators, who arrived on September 14, a forensic artist had arrived last week to assist localpolice with a sketch of the assailants, he added.
One day after meeting the FBI agents, Phnom Penh deputy police chief Hy Prou, who is in charge of the investigation, said there were no leads on a suspect and that the complexities of the case made investigating it difficult.
However, the fact that editor Dam Sith was interviewed for the first time after the FBI agents arrived could signal that the bureau is nudging the Cambodian police in a new direction – towards the articles Khim Sambo wrote before he was killed.
In an interview at his home last Saturday, Dam Sith said that one of the questions asked by the FBI agent, who was accompanied by a translator from the US embassy and two Cambodian officers, concerned the kind of articles Khim Sambo had written for him. He said he replied: “A lot of articles about different things.”
Dam Sith is a father with three young children. Since Khim Sambo’s killing he does not leave his home unless he has to. He looked like he had not slept in weeks and was in a highly nervous state.
In 2006, Hok Lundy was denied a US visa due to allegations that he was involved in drug and human trafficking. The following month, however, the FBI awarded him a medal for his efforts in fighting terrorism. In April last year, he was finally granted a US visa, to attend a counter-terrorism workshop.
Monday, September 22, 2008
US FBI agents assist Cambodian journalist murder investigation
September 22, 2008
ABC Radio Australia
ABC Radio Australia
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has sent two agents to Phnom Penh to assist in the investigation of the murder of opposition journalist Khim Sambo and his son.
The Phnom Penh Post quotes a US embassy spokesman saying the agents were assigned to Cambodia following a request from the Ministry of Interior, and that their role will be purely supportive of the Cambodian investigation.
He says the agents have no definite timeframe for their involvement and could stay until the investigation is complete.
Phnom Penh's Deputy Police Chief Hy Prou who is heading the investigation told the newspaper local police currently have no leads on a suspect and that the complexities of the case have made investigation difficult.
Khim Sambo was killed instantly after being shot twice in the back while riding on a motorbike driven by his son, who was also shot twice from behind and died later that night in a Phnom Penh hospital.
The Phnom Penh Post quotes a US embassy spokesman saying the agents were assigned to Cambodia following a request from the Ministry of Interior, and that their role will be purely supportive of the Cambodian investigation.
He says the agents have no definite timeframe for their involvement and could stay until the investigation is complete.
Phnom Penh's Deputy Police Chief Hy Prou who is heading the investigation told the newspaper local police currently have no leads on a suspect and that the complexities of the case have made investigation difficult.
Khim Sambo was killed instantly after being shot twice in the back while riding on a motorbike driven by his son, who was also shot twice from behind and died later that night in a Phnom Penh hospital.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
FBI Begins Probe of Journalist's July Murder
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
19 September 2008
Original report from Phnom Penh
19 September 2008
Phnom Penh police officials met with FBI agents on Wednesday to discuss how the US agency might help in an ongoing investigation into the murders of opposition journalist Khim Sambor and his son.
The two parties reviewed what the Cambodian police have discovered so far and how they will cooperate, said Hy Prou, deputy chief of Phnom Penh police.
"The main point of the meeting required research into how we should conduct the investigation and what we should do first," he said. "But this is a first step."
Khim Sambor, who wrote for the opposition Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, was killed on July 11, just two weeks before national elections. At least nine other journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, according to the rights group Licadho.
Two FBI agents arrived in Phnom Penh Sunday and will stay for as long as they are needed, US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said.
"They're here to assist in the investigation, depending on the needs of the Ministry of Interior and the Cambodian police that are investigating it," he said, declining to comment on the specifics of the investigation. "The FBI is here to assist in any way possible, and we certainly hope that through this cooperation that the perpetrator of this crime can be brought to justice."
Chan Soveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said Friday he had little confidence the FBI would be able to find the killer without performing an independent investigation.
"We want the FBI to research this case independently," he said. "If the FBI researches independently, we hope they will find the real killer. But if the FBI researches without independence, I have no hope they will find the real killers."
The FBI also investigated the 1997 grenade attack on a group of opposition supporters, he said, but the investigation yielded no results. In that attack, at least 16 people were killed and one American was injured.
"I don't want the FBI to investigate Khim Sambor's killing like they did in 1997," Chan Soveth said.
Dam Sith, the editor of Moneaksekar Khmer, who was jailed for a week ahead of elections, said he welcomed the collaboration between the FBI and the police.
"I wish to see the real facts and justice without falsehood," he said.
Khim Lenin, 30, the youngest brother of Khim Sambor, appealed to the FBI and the police to find "the real killers of my brother."
"I don't believe the previous report of the police, that the killing was involved with Khim Sambor's son," he said. "As I understand, his son was a good person and never committed any wrongdoings. The same for Khim Sambor."
The two parties reviewed what the Cambodian police have discovered so far and how they will cooperate, said Hy Prou, deputy chief of Phnom Penh police.
"The main point of the meeting required research into how we should conduct the investigation and what we should do first," he said. "But this is a first step."
Khim Sambor, who wrote for the opposition Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, was killed on July 11, just two weeks before national elections. At least nine other journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, according to the rights group Licadho.
Two FBI agents arrived in Phnom Penh Sunday and will stay for as long as they are needed, US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said.
"They're here to assist in the investigation, depending on the needs of the Ministry of Interior and the Cambodian police that are investigating it," he said, declining to comment on the specifics of the investigation. "The FBI is here to assist in any way possible, and we certainly hope that through this cooperation that the perpetrator of this crime can be brought to justice."
Chan Soveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said Friday he had little confidence the FBI would be able to find the killer without performing an independent investigation.
"We want the FBI to research this case independently," he said. "If the FBI researches independently, we hope they will find the real killer. But if the FBI researches without independence, I have no hope they will find the real killers."
The FBI also investigated the 1997 grenade attack on a group of opposition supporters, he said, but the investigation yielded no results. In that attack, at least 16 people were killed and one American was injured.
"I don't want the FBI to investigate Khim Sambor's killing like they did in 1997," Chan Soveth said.
Dam Sith, the editor of Moneaksekar Khmer, who was jailed for a week ahead of elections, said he welcomed the collaboration between the FBI and the police.
"I wish to see the real facts and justice without falsehood," he said.
Khim Lenin, 30, the youngest brother of Khim Sambor, appealed to the FBI and the police to find "the real killers of my brother."
"I don't believe the previous report of the police, that the killing was involved with Khim Sambor's son," he said. "As I understand, his son was a good person and never committed any wrongdoings. The same for Khim Sambor."
Friday, September 05, 2008
FBI Team En Route To Aid Murder Case
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 September 2008
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 September 2008
A team of FBI investigators will arrive in Cambodia later this month to help police investigate the murder of opposition journalist Khim Sambor.
The team will include at least two sketch artists, said Phnom Penh Police Chief Brig. Gen. Touch Naroth.
Cambodian police and the FBI will meet one or two times a week to exchange information on the investigation, he said. Police met with an FBI official from the US Embassy last week, he said.
Khim Sambor was shot dead in Phnom Penh on July 11, along with his 21-year-old son, Khat Sarin Pheatha, two weeks ahead of national elections, and his killers are still at large.
Touch Naroth said Thursday the motive was not considered political, but police believe the killers were targeting Khim Sambor's son.
Khim Sambor's wife and two daughters were quietly granted asylum and fled to a Western country in late August, Chan Saveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said Thursday.
The team will include at least two sketch artists, said Phnom Penh Police Chief Brig. Gen. Touch Naroth.
Cambodian police and the FBI will meet one or two times a week to exchange information on the investigation, he said. Police met with an FBI official from the US Embassy last week, he said.
Khim Sambor was shot dead in Phnom Penh on July 11, along with his 21-year-old son, Khat Sarin Pheatha, two weeks ahead of national elections, and his killers are still at large.
Touch Naroth said Thursday the motive was not considered political, but police believe the killers were targeting Khim Sambor's son.
Khim Sambor's wife and two daughters were quietly granted asylum and fled to a Western country in late August, Chan Saveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said Thursday.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Family members of assassinated journalist left Cambodia
04 September 2008By Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French
The departure was motivated by security reason, meanwhile an FBI agent will attempt to obtain a composite sketch of the killers of Khim Sambo and his son.
Accompanied by her two children, the wife of Khim Sambo, the opposition journalist who was killed alongside his son during the election campaign last July, left the country two weeks ago. The news was revealed by Chan Soveth, an investigator for Licadho. This departure was organized following the intervention made by three human rights organizations: Adhoc, Licadho and the UNHCR office in Cambodia.
Chan Soveth indicated also that other witnesses of the crime are now in hiding for security measure. According to Chan Soveth, the main reason which motivated this departure is because “the family has no confidence in the police because, up to now, the killers have not been arrested yet.” The current destination of the family is held in secret.
Touch Naroth, the Phnom Penh police commissioner, said that this situation will not help the case. He recognized that this departure will “create an obstacle to the investigation, but this will not prevent the FBI and the Cambodian police to pursue the search.”
Touch Naroth dismissed the declarations made by human rights organizations reagrding the lack of confidence in the police. “These associations say nonsense, if the family has no confidence in the police, who can they have confidence on?” Touch Naroth asked.
Following its initial focus on Khim Sambo himself, the investigations are now focused on his son. “The FBI and us agree on this point,” Touch Naroth claimed. Why the focus on the son? Because according to a hospital report, one of the doctors who took care of him when he arrived at the emergency room, heard him whispering that he was killed because of a “grudge.”
In the upcoming days, two new FBI agents are expected to arrive in Phnom Penh – an investigator and a composite sketcher who will be in charge of obtaining a sketch of the killers based on descriptions provided by witnesses.
Accompanied by her two children, the wife of Khim Sambo, the opposition journalist who was killed alongside his son during the election campaign last July, left the country two weeks ago. The news was revealed by Chan Soveth, an investigator for Licadho. This departure was organized following the intervention made by three human rights organizations: Adhoc, Licadho and the UNHCR office in Cambodia.
Chan Soveth indicated also that other witnesses of the crime are now in hiding for security measure. According to Chan Soveth, the main reason which motivated this departure is because “the family has no confidence in the police because, up to now, the killers have not been arrested yet.” The current destination of the family is held in secret.
Touch Naroth, the Phnom Penh police commissioner, said that this situation will not help the case. He recognized that this departure will “create an obstacle to the investigation, but this will not prevent the FBI and the Cambodian police to pursue the search.”
Touch Naroth dismissed the declarations made by human rights organizations reagrding the lack of confidence in the police. “These associations say nonsense, if the family has no confidence in the police, who can they have confidence on?” Touch Naroth asked.
Following its initial focus on Khim Sambo himself, the investigations are now focused on his son. “The FBI and us agree on this point,” Touch Naroth claimed. Why the focus on the son? Because according to a hospital report, one of the doctors who took care of him when he arrived at the emergency room, heard him whispering that he was killed because of a “grudge.”
In the upcoming days, two new FBI agents are expected to arrive in Phnom Penh – an investigator and a composite sketcher who will be in charge of obtaining a sketch of the killers based on descriptions provided by witnesses.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Ministry Yet to Detail FBI Aid in [Khim Sambor's] Murder Case
Khim Sambo during his funeral ceremony (Photo: Xinhua)By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 August 2008
The Ministry of Interior has formed an "investigation committee" to determine how to move forward in the murder case of opposition journalist Khim Sambor, an official said Tuesday.
The ministry has received a letter from the FBI, but the investigation committee will decide how the FBI can help, said Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak told VOA Khmer.
The ministry has requested the help of the FBI, but US officials said this week they were still waiting for a specific responses on how the US agency might help the investigation.
"We're still waiting," former US ambassador Joseph Mussomeli told reporters before leaving the country Monday. "We are still awaiting from the police a list of exactly what they think they need from us."
"We have very good ideas of what they need from us, and we are sharing that as well," Mussomeli said.
The FBI could help, for example, through the use of a sketch artist or forensic specialists, US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said Tuesday.
Khim Sambor was shot dead in Phnom Penh on July 11, along with his son, two weeks ahead of national elections. No suspect has been arrested.
The ministry has received a letter from the FBI, but the investigation committee will decide how the FBI can help, said Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak told VOA Khmer.
The ministry has requested the help of the FBI, but US officials said this week they were still waiting for a specific responses on how the US agency might help the investigation.
"We're still waiting," former US ambassador Joseph Mussomeli told reporters before leaving the country Monday. "We are still awaiting from the police a list of exactly what they think they need from us."
"We have very good ideas of what they need from us, and we are sharing that as well," Mussomeli said.
The FBI could help, for example, through the use of a sketch artist or forensic specialists, US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said Tuesday.
Khim Sambor was shot dead in Phnom Penh on July 11, along with his son, two weeks ahead of national elections. No suspect has been arrested.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Khim Sambor’s killing: Police focus the investigation on his son [-When all else fail, accuse somebody else instead!]
21 August 2008
Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French
Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French
After believing that the father, an opposition journalist, was the target of the killers, the police are now wondering if the son was not the target instead.
In spite of the FBI help, Cambodian police have a hard time advancing their investigation.
“Up to now, we focused our research on the father, but now, we have more reasons to believe that the son was the target of this double murder,” said Touch Naroth, the Phnom Penh police commissioner.
While the election campaign was in full swing last 11 July, 47-year-old Khim Sambor, a journalist for the opposition Moneaksekar Khmer daily newspaper, and his 21-year-old son was killed in the middle of the street while they were leaving the Olympic Stadium.
In spite of the FBI help, Cambodian police have a hard time advancing their investigation.
“Up to now, we focused our research on the father, but now, we have more reasons to believe that the son was the target of this double murder,” said Touch Naroth, the Phnom Penh police commissioner.
While the election campaign was in full swing last 11 July, 47-year-old Khim Sambor, a journalist for the opposition Moneaksekar Khmer daily newspaper, and his 21-year-old son was killed in the middle of the street while they were leaving the Olympic Stadium.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Justice for Slain Journalist: US Congressman
US Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
08 August 2008
A US congressman warned this week the killers of opposition journalist Khim Sambor should be brought to justice.
"Whoever killed him needs to be held accountable," said Representative Christopher Smith, a Republican. If those who did the killing were under instruction from an official, "that individual needs to be held accountable as well."
Kim Sambor was gunned down with his son on a Phnom Penh street July 11, two weeks ahead of national elections. No one has been arrested in the murder, which opposition reporters said created a chilling effect on their coverage of the government and the ruling Cambodian People's Party.
The Cambodian people should not have to tolerate such unresolved murders, Smith said, calling on Prime Minister Hun Sen to "do everything to cooperate" and go "wherever" the investigation leads.
The US said earlier this week the FBI had been asked to help investigate the murder.
Smith, who works closely with human rights issues, said public officials should be open to criticism, "because that's how you hold them accountable."
"I don't like it when I am criticized, but I know it's part of a larger and very important principle," he said.
Twelve journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, but no suspects have been arrested in the crimes.
"Whoever killed him needs to be held accountable," said Representative Christopher Smith, a Republican. If those who did the killing were under instruction from an official, "that individual needs to be held accountable as well."
Kim Sambor was gunned down with his son on a Phnom Penh street July 11, two weeks ahead of national elections. No one has been arrested in the murder, which opposition reporters said created a chilling effect on their coverage of the government and the ruling Cambodian People's Party.
The Cambodian people should not have to tolerate such unresolved murders, Smith said, calling on Prime Minister Hun Sen to "do everything to cooperate" and go "wherever" the investigation leads.
The US said earlier this week the FBI had been asked to help investigate the murder.
Smith, who works closely with human rights issues, said public officials should be open to criticism, "because that's how you hold them accountable."
"I don't like it when I am criticized, but I know it's part of a larger and very important principle," he said.
Twelve journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, but no suspects have been arrested in the crimes.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Cambodian police unsure if shot journalist was killers' target
Aug 6, 2008
DPA
DPA
Phnom Penh - A joint inquiry by Cambodian police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the murder of an opposition journalist and his son is investigating whether the son and not his father was the real target, a senior official said Wednesday.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the investigation had so far turned up few leads in the July 11 murders and police were ruling out nothing.
International condemnation followed the double shooting of 47-year-old Khim Sambo, a journalist for the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, which supports the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), and his son Khat Sarinpheata, 19, a university student, on a busy street in the capital.
The government's questionable human rights record and the proximity of the killing to national elections two weeks later led the SRP and rights groups, including New York-based Human Rights Watch, to point the finger at the government and demand answers.
'We are still wondering if this is a case of politics or not,' Sopheak said. 'Why would the killers have turned back after killing the father and then shoot the son if they only wanted to kill the journalist? We want to solve this as soon as possible.'
Witnesses said two men on a motorbike wearing baseball caps pulled up to the pair at about 7:30 pm and shot Sambo at close range before speeding away, only to return within seconds and shoot the previously unscathed son.
The FBI investigated a 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally led by Sam Rainsy in which at least a dozen people were killed and opposition leader Rainsy sustained minor injuries.
The report has never been released, despite SRP demands, and were the culprits not identified.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the investigation had so far turned up few leads in the July 11 murders and police were ruling out nothing.
International condemnation followed the double shooting of 47-year-old Khim Sambo, a journalist for the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper, which supports the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), and his son Khat Sarinpheata, 19, a university student, on a busy street in the capital.
The government's questionable human rights record and the proximity of the killing to national elections two weeks later led the SRP and rights groups, including New York-based Human Rights Watch, to point the finger at the government and demand answers.
'We are still wondering if this is a case of politics or not,' Sopheak said. 'Why would the killers have turned back after killing the father and then shoot the son if they only wanted to kill the journalist? We want to solve this as soon as possible.'
Witnesses said two men on a motorbike wearing baseball caps pulled up to the pair at about 7:30 pm and shot Sambo at close range before speeding away, only to return within seconds and shoot the previously unscathed son.
The FBI investigated a 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally led by Sam Rainsy in which at least a dozen people were killed and opposition leader Rainsy sustained minor injuries.
The report has never been released, despite SRP demands, and were the culprits not identified.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
FBI to Aid in Case of Murdered Journalist
By Ratana Seng
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 August 2008
Original report from Phnom Penh
04 August 2008
The Ministry of Interior has accepted an offer of help from the FBI in investigating the pre-election murder of an opposition journalist, officials said Monday.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday had accepted the FBI's help in the case of Khim Sambor, and opposition journalist, and his son, who were both killed July 11 in a Phnom Penh shooting, two weeks before the national elections.
The cooperation met with approval from many Monday, but it remained unclear what role the US agency would play.
Kim Sambor's daughter, Kath Sarinda, 24, said she supported the cooperation.
"I hope that they will bring in the real killer, not the fake killer, like in the Chea Vichea case," she said.
Labor leader Chea Vichea was shot dead in 2004, and two men widely considered innocent each received 20-year prison sentences for the murder.
The US Embassy received an official request from the Ministry of Interior, , a US Embassy spokesman said. It was too early to speculate how the FBI might help, the spokesman, John Johnson, said.
The FBI will make the investigation faster, he said, because the FBI has more experience and resources.
Phnom Penh Police Chief Touch Naroth said he would be happy to work with the FBI in an investigation that is already underway.
Moneaksekar Khmer editor Dam Sith welcomed the aid of the FBI, and Adhoc director Thun Saray called it a "positive" signal.
If a killer is not found with the help of the FBI, public opinion will be more calm, Thun Saray said. The cooperation will be seen as an opening of the government to international police efforts, showing a greater will for Cambodia to find the killer.
Twelve reporters have been killed since 1994, but is the first time the FBI has helped in such an investigation.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday had accepted the FBI's help in the case of Khim Sambor, and opposition journalist, and his son, who were both killed July 11 in a Phnom Penh shooting, two weeks before the national elections.
The cooperation met with approval from many Monday, but it remained unclear what role the US agency would play.
Kim Sambor's daughter, Kath Sarinda, 24, said she supported the cooperation.
"I hope that they will bring in the real killer, not the fake killer, like in the Chea Vichea case," she said.
Labor leader Chea Vichea was shot dead in 2004, and two men widely considered innocent each received 20-year prison sentences for the murder.
The US Embassy received an official request from the Ministry of Interior, , a US Embassy spokesman said. It was too early to speculate how the FBI might help, the spokesman, John Johnson, said.
The FBI will make the investigation faster, he said, because the FBI has more experience and resources.
Phnom Penh Police Chief Touch Naroth said he would be happy to work with the FBI in an investigation that is already underway.
Moneaksekar Khmer editor Dam Sith welcomed the aid of the FBI, and Adhoc director Thun Saray called it a "positive" signal.
If a killer is not found with the help of the FBI, public opinion will be more calm, Thun Saray said. The cooperation will be seen as an opening of the government to international police efforts, showing a greater will for Cambodia to find the killer.
Twelve reporters have been killed since 1994, but is the first time the FBI has helped in such an investigation.
Monday, August 04, 2008
FBI to aid Cambodia in probing murder of reporter
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government has accepted an offer of assistance from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in pursuing the July 11 murder of opposition party-affiliated journalist Khim Sambo and his son, national media said Monday.
The U.S. Embassy on July 14 offered the help to investigate the drive-by shooting on street and the Cambodian Interior Ministry officially accepted the offer late Friday evening, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily quoted embassy spokesman John Johnson as saying.
It was too early to provide details about how FBI would help in the investigation, he added.
Khim Sambo was part-time reporter for the Khmer Conscience News, which is closely related to the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. He used to write about the corruption acts of senior government officials of Cambodia.
FBI opened its Phnom Penh Legal Attache office on Feb. 1 inside the U.S. Embassy.
The U.S. Embassy on July 14 offered the help to investigate the drive-by shooting on street and the Cambodian Interior Ministry officially accepted the offer late Friday evening, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily quoted embassy spokesman John Johnson as saying.
It was too early to provide details about how FBI would help in the investigation, he added.
Khim Sambo was part-time reporter for the Khmer Conscience News, which is closely related to the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. He used to write about the corruption acts of senior government officials of Cambodia.
FBI opened its Phnom Penh Legal Attache office on Feb. 1 inside the U.S. Embassy.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Cambodia calls in FBI to help find journalist's killer
Sat, 02 Aug 2008
DPA
DPA
Phnom Penh - Cambodia has called on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help find the killer of an opposition journalist and his son, who were gunned down last month during the the national election campaign, a government spokesman said Saturday. Police General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Interior Minister Sar Kheng, in the interests of transparency, had decided Friday to call in the FBI over the slaying of Khim Sambo.
"We want this to be public knowledge," Khieu Sopheak said.
The July 12 double slaying of 47-year-old Khim Sambo, a journalist for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer, and his teenaged son Khat Sarinpheata brought international condemnation.
Although the government has denied any knowledge of the killings, its questionable human-rights record has made it the target of suspicion from groups including the SRP - the second political party in the country - and New York-based Human Rights Watch.
The FBI also investigated a 1997 grenade attack on an SRP rally in which at least 16 people were killed and SRP leader Sam Rainsy sustained minor injuries. The culprits are still at large.
The ruling Cambodian People's Party won a landslide victory in Sunday's elections, but opposition groups have cited the killings, claiming they could have intimidated voters - a claim the government has angrily denied.
"We want this to be public knowledge," Khieu Sopheak said.
The July 12 double slaying of 47-year-old Khim Sambo, a journalist for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer, and his teenaged son Khat Sarinpheata brought international condemnation.
Although the government has denied any knowledge of the killings, its questionable human-rights record has made it the target of suspicion from groups including the SRP - the second political party in the country - and New York-based Human Rights Watch.
The FBI also investigated a 1997 grenade attack on an SRP rally in which at least 16 people were killed and SRP leader Sam Rainsy sustained minor injuries. The culprits are still at large.
The ruling Cambodian People's Party won a landslide victory in Sunday's elections, but opposition groups have cited the killings, claiming they could have intimidated voters - a claim the government has angrily denied.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Hun Sen's authorities may die searching for Khim Sambo's killer
Cambodian government vows to find journalist's murderer
Jul 31, 2008
DPA
Jul 31, 2008
DPA
Phnom Penh - Cambodian authorities would not rest until they found the killer of opposition journalist Khim Sambo and his son, a minister said Thursday.
Government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith called the shooting murder of Sambo and his son in the capital at the peak of national election campaigning in July 'embarassing' and said the government was determined to bring the killers to justice.
'We will not rest until we die or catch the perpetrators,' Kanharith said.
Kanharith, himself a former journalist, personally attended a memorial for the 47-year-old journalist for the opposition newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer and his son Khat Sarinpheata on July 13 after they were shot at point blank range on a busy street in the capital.
The killings caused an international outcry, coming so close to Sunday's national elections resoundingly won by Kanharith's Cambodian People's Party, and the opposition and groups such as Human Rights Watch dubbed it a clear case of intimidation.
The government is adamant it had nothing to do with the murders, but its vow to catch the killers has been greeted with skepticism by the opposition and human rights campaigners.
A similar promise to catch the killers of union leader Chea Vichea after he was slain in similar fashion resulted in the arrests and convictions of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun in 2004 - two formerly minor criminals who both appeared to have air-tight alibis but were convicted regardless and sentenced to 20 years jail each.
Government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith called the shooting murder of Sambo and his son in the capital at the peak of national election campaigning in July 'embarassing' and said the government was determined to bring the killers to justice.
'We will not rest until we die or catch the perpetrators,' Kanharith said.
Kanharith, himself a former journalist, personally attended a memorial for the 47-year-old journalist for the opposition newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer and his son Khat Sarinpheata on July 13 after they were shot at point blank range on a busy street in the capital.
The killings caused an international outcry, coming so close to Sunday's national elections resoundingly won by Kanharith's Cambodian People's Party, and the opposition and groups such as Human Rights Watch dubbed it a clear case of intimidation.
The government is adamant it had nothing to do with the murders, but its vow to catch the killers has been greeted with skepticism by the opposition and human rights campaigners.
A similar promise to catch the killers of union leader Chea Vichea after he was slain in similar fashion resulted in the arrests and convictions of Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun in 2004 - two formerly minor criminals who both appeared to have air-tight alibis but were convicted regardless and sentenced to 20 years jail each.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Fear for Safety Remains: Journalists
Sam Rithy Duong Hak, vice president of the Cambodian Association of Professional JournalistsBy Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
22 July 2008
Dam Sith, the editor of the opposition newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer who was jailed for a week in June and was the boss of slain journalist Khim Sambor, fully supports the FBI's offer to aid police in solving the murder.
Speaking by phone for fear of leaving his house, Dam Sith said Thursday on "Hello VOA" he regretted that Cambodia had not yet taken the FBI up on an offer to aid the investigation of the murder of Khim Sambor, who was shot dead with his son July 11 on a Phnom Penh street.
"I strongly support the FBI to help investigate, but it's a regret that the government refuses to grant their participation," Dam Sith said.
No suspect has been arrested in the murder, but the killing, two weeks from a national election, has meant a chilling effect on opposition journalists.
"We do not dare to cover news in public, because we're concerned about our safety," Dam Sith said.
At least 12 journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, but no killers have been brought to trial.
Sam Rithy Duong Hak, vice president of the Cambodian Association of Professional Journalists, echoed Dam Sith's support for FBI assistance.
"There is more fear now," he said.
Speaking by phone for fear of leaving his house, Dam Sith said Thursday on "Hello VOA" he regretted that Cambodia had not yet taken the FBI up on an offer to aid the investigation of the murder of Khim Sambor, who was shot dead with his son July 11 on a Phnom Penh street.
"I strongly support the FBI to help investigate, but it's a regret that the government refuses to grant their participation," Dam Sith said.
No suspect has been arrested in the murder, but the killing, two weeks from a national election, has meant a chilling effect on opposition journalists.
"We do not dare to cover news in public, because we're concerned about our safety," Dam Sith said.
At least 12 journalists have been killed in Cambodia since 1994, but no killers have been brought to trial.
Sam Rithy Duong Hak, vice president of the Cambodian Association of Professional Journalists, echoed Dam Sith's support for FBI assistance.
"There is more fear now," he said.
Scribe's Murder, Temple Dispute Muddy Cambodian Polls
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
By ANDREW NETTE / IPS WRITER
The July 11 slaying of Khim Sambo in a drive-by-shooting in Phnom Penh has cast a cloud over the poll, which until then had been largely free of serious violence, and sent shock waves through the journalist community.
"For Cambodian people it is scary," said Kek Galabru, president of Licadho, a prominent local human rights organization that is investigating the incident. "The killing will have a negative impact on the election. In journalists it will increase self-censorship. There is a chilling effect. Everyone is wondering who will be next."
Although some have claimed that the Sambo killing was an election-related political assassination, no evidence has been produced to back this.
"We estimate at 70 percent (probability) that this is a revenge case," Phnom Penh police commissioner Touch Naroth told the media last week. "The journalist could have had personal conflicts."
The most feasible explanation, according to local and international human rights groups, is that Sambo was killed because of his articles.
A veteran reporter for the newspaper ‘Monseaseka,’ or Khmer Conscience, which is affiliated to the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), the country’s main opposition political party, Sambo reported on issues relating to corruption, land grabbing and other controversial topics.
Monseaseka’s editor, Dam Sith, an SRP election candidate, was last month charged with defamation against a senior government minister and jailed for a week.
In a statement the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it was "concerned that Sambo may have been targeted in reprisal for his reporting on government corruption."
"My feeling is that it is certainly related to what he wrote," said Galabru. "Whatever the case, there was a crime and we want the authorities to mount a serious investigation to being the perpetrators to justice."
No one has yet been arrested for the killing and opposition parties and human rights investigators are pessimistic that any one will be.
According to the United Nations Office of High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Cambodia, Sambo’s killing is one of eight similar murders and attempted murders of journalists since 1994.
In all the cases cited by OHCHR no one was arrested and the perpetrators remain at large.
The uncertainty relating to Sambo’s death says much about the difficulties facing journalists in Cambodia. Almost all Cambodia’s media is politically aligned, either through the direct ownership by parties or by wealthy individuals who have strong political connections.
According to a May 2008 Licadho study on the state of the country’s media, journalists are typically poorly paid and many live in fear of physical or legal attack because of their work. "Fear is a fact of life for many of Cambodia’s journalists," it said.
The study cited a 2007 survey of 150 journalists which showed that 65 percent of them were afraid of being physically attacked, and 62 percent feared legal action. "More tellingly, 54 percent said they had been threatened with physical harm or legal action,’’ the survey said.
The report also stated that problems also arise from endemic corruption in the media, with many journalists regularly taking bribes for favorable coverage or for not reporting stories.
"Even if it (the Sambo killing) is not politically related the environment of fear it creates is a serious issue", said Mar Sophal, monitoring coordinator with the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia.
It is difficult to get accurate figures on the number of killings and acts of violence related to the election.
According to Sophal, by the end of last week there had been at least four politics-related deaths during the official four-week campaign period. Three of the victims were CPP-affiliated activists. The fourth was an opposition party supporter.
Another issue creating uncertainty in the closing stages of the Sunday election is the escalating dispute between Phnom Penh and Bangkok over the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple that stands on the border between the two neighboring countries.
The standoff has placed Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in a difficult position.
They must prevent a broader conflict while placating public anger over the presence of Thai soldiers in the temple, which many in the Khmer media are calling "an invasion".
The United Nations’ recognition of the temple as Cambodian produced a massive public outpouring of national fervor across the country, with mass rallies, cultural celebrations and fireworks displays. CPP officials were quick to credit the World Heritage committee’s decision to Hun Sen’s leadership and placed advertisements in all the Khmer newspapers stating this.
"They have tried to take credit for it and have used the state budget to promote themselves as heroes," said Son Chhay, an SRP parliamentarian. "Now they have backed off given their desire not to antagonize the Thais."
In a letter sent Saturday to the Thai Prime Minister, Hun Sen maintained the temple is Cambodian, but pressed for a negotiated end to the stalemate.
Indeed, it is the opposition parties that are now trying to take advantage of the situation.
In a statement released last week the SRP called the presence of Thai soldiers at the temple "an invasion" and said the government should refuse to negotiate "as long as the Thai government remains on Cambodian territory".
It demanded the withdrawal of the Thai ambassador and steps to "strengthen the armed forces into a national army that is capable and well-equipped with adequate weapons to withstand the invasion of neighboring countries."
By ANDREW NETTE / IPS WRITER
"They have tried to take credit for it (Preah Vihear) and have used the state budget to promote themselves as heroes ... Now they have backed off given their desire not to antagonize the Thais." - SRP MP Son ChhayPHNOM PENH — Cambodia has entered the final week of its national election campaign shocked by the murder of a well-known journalist and facing an increasingly tense standoff with Thailand over a disputed 11th century Hindu temple.
The July 11 slaying of Khim Sambo in a drive-by-shooting in Phnom Penh has cast a cloud over the poll, which until then had been largely free of serious violence, and sent shock waves through the journalist community.
"For Cambodian people it is scary," said Kek Galabru, president of Licadho, a prominent local human rights organization that is investigating the incident. "The killing will have a negative impact on the election. In journalists it will increase self-censorship. There is a chilling effect. Everyone is wondering who will be next."
Although some have claimed that the Sambo killing was an election-related political assassination, no evidence has been produced to back this.
"We estimate at 70 percent (probability) that this is a revenge case," Phnom Penh police commissioner Touch Naroth told the media last week. "The journalist could have had personal conflicts."
The most feasible explanation, according to local and international human rights groups, is that Sambo was killed because of his articles.
A veteran reporter for the newspaper ‘Monseaseka,’ or Khmer Conscience, which is affiliated to the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), the country’s main opposition political party, Sambo reported on issues relating to corruption, land grabbing and other controversial topics.
Monseaseka’s editor, Dam Sith, an SRP election candidate, was last month charged with defamation against a senior government minister and jailed for a week.
In a statement the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it was "concerned that Sambo may have been targeted in reprisal for his reporting on government corruption."
"My feeling is that it is certainly related to what he wrote," said Galabru. "Whatever the case, there was a crime and we want the authorities to mount a serious investigation to being the perpetrators to justice."
No one has yet been arrested for the killing and opposition parties and human rights investigators are pessimistic that any one will be.
According to the United Nations Office of High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Cambodia, Sambo’s killing is one of eight similar murders and attempted murders of journalists since 1994.
In all the cases cited by OHCHR no one was arrested and the perpetrators remain at large.
The uncertainty relating to Sambo’s death says much about the difficulties facing journalists in Cambodia. Almost all Cambodia’s media is politically aligned, either through the direct ownership by parties or by wealthy individuals who have strong political connections.
According to a May 2008 Licadho study on the state of the country’s media, journalists are typically poorly paid and many live in fear of physical or legal attack because of their work. "Fear is a fact of life for many of Cambodia’s journalists," it said.
The study cited a 2007 survey of 150 journalists which showed that 65 percent of them were afraid of being physically attacked, and 62 percent feared legal action. "More tellingly, 54 percent said they had been threatened with physical harm or legal action,’’ the survey said.
The report also stated that problems also arise from endemic corruption in the media, with many journalists regularly taking bribes for favorable coverage or for not reporting stories.
"Even if it (the Sambo killing) is not politically related the environment of fear it creates is a serious issue", said Mar Sophal, monitoring coordinator with the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia.
It is difficult to get accurate figures on the number of killings and acts of violence related to the election.
According to Sophal, by the end of last week there had been at least four politics-related deaths during the official four-week campaign period. Three of the victims were CPP-affiliated activists. The fourth was an opposition party supporter.
Another issue creating uncertainty in the closing stages of the Sunday election is the escalating dispute between Phnom Penh and Bangkok over the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple that stands on the border between the two neighboring countries.
The standoff has placed Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in a difficult position.
They must prevent a broader conflict while placating public anger over the presence of Thai soldiers in the temple, which many in the Khmer media are calling "an invasion".
The United Nations’ recognition of the temple as Cambodian produced a massive public outpouring of national fervor across the country, with mass rallies, cultural celebrations and fireworks displays. CPP officials were quick to credit the World Heritage committee’s decision to Hun Sen’s leadership and placed advertisements in all the Khmer newspapers stating this.
"They have tried to take credit for it and have used the state budget to promote themselves as heroes," said Son Chhay, an SRP parliamentarian. "Now they have backed off given their desire not to antagonize the Thais."
In a letter sent Saturday to the Thai Prime Minister, Hun Sen maintained the temple is Cambodian, but pressed for a negotiated end to the stalemate.
Indeed, it is the opposition parties that are now trying to take advantage of the situation.
In a statement released last week the SRP called the presence of Thai soldiers at the temple "an invasion" and said the government should refuse to negotiate "as long as the Thai government remains on Cambodian territory".
It demanded the withdrawal of the Thai ambassador and steps to "strengthen the armed forces into a national army that is capable and well-equipped with adequate weapons to withstand the invasion of neighboring countries."
Friday, July 18, 2008
UN Office Calls for 'Credible' Murder Probe
By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
17 July 2008
The UN human rights office called for a credible investigation into the shooting of an opposition journalist, noting that in the past such investigations have faltered.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the government to "conduct a prompt, thorough and credible investigation" into the murder of Khim Sambor and his son, who were gunned down Friday night on a street in Phnom Penh.
The murder two weeks ahead of a national election, "irrespective of the motive," could revive in people's minds "the fear of politics," the UN office said.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Thursday the investigation was continuing, but no motive has been established.
"The investigation is not remaining in darkness," he said.
The UN rights office said in its statement Thursday a credible investigation was warranted "in the context of the continued impunity for past killings of journalists."
Friday's killing follows the murder or attempted murder of at least eight journalists since 1994, the rights office said, "all cases in which the perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity."
Human rights groups told reporters Thursday "the assassinations of reporters and other opposition political activists causes weakness of the general situation of peace and causes fear among voters."
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the government to "conduct a prompt, thorough and credible investigation" into the murder of Khim Sambor and his son, who were gunned down Friday night on a street in Phnom Penh.
The murder two weeks ahead of a national election, "irrespective of the motive," could revive in people's minds "the fear of politics," the UN office said.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Thursday the investigation was continuing, but no motive has been established.
"The investigation is not remaining in darkness," he said.
The UN rights office said in its statement Thursday a credible investigation was warranted "in the context of the continued impunity for past killings of journalists."
Friday's killing follows the murder or attempted murder of at least eight journalists since 1994, the rights office said, "all cases in which the perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity."
Human rights groups told reporters Thursday "the assassinations of reporters and other opposition political activists causes weakness of the general situation of peace and causes fear among voters."
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