Meanchey district police on Thursday arrested a military policeman who is accused of beating to death a construction worker who had earlier asked for more money from his employer.
Meanchey district police officer Meng Heng Tith said Thursday that district police arrested a suspect identified only as “Rith” in the assault on construction worker Prak San. Rith, who human rights officials say was hired by a local businessman to kill Prak San, is currently held at a Meanchey district police station.
Prak San was beaten in his home Saturday and died three days later in Preah Kossomak hospital from wounds sustained in the attack, said Sok Sam Oeun, executive director for the Cambodian Defenders Project. The CDP is representing Prak San’s family.
Prak San reportedly led an unofficial protest against the construction company where he was employed earlier in the day on Saturday, Sok Sam Oeun said. The workers were demonstrating for a small pay increase for the Pchum Ben holiday, he said.
Later that night, a military policeman allegedly went to Prak San’s apartment in Meanchey district and beat him in front of his wife and several other witnesses, Sok Sam Oeun said.
A statement from the Human Rights Action Group—an umbrella organization representing more than 10 local human rights groups—stated that the military policeman dragged Prak San from his home and beat him on the head with a pistol. According to the statement, the perpetrator did not give a reason for the beating.
Prak San was taken to Preah Kossomak Hospital one-half hour after the attack, where he died on Tuesday. According to the HRAC report, the hospital did not disclose the cause of death. However, Sok Sam Oeun said Thursday that he received reports that the victim died from head injuries sustained in the attack.
Prak San’s wife reportedly told the human rights group Adhoc that the owner of the construction company ordered the police to beat Prak San, an Adhoc official said Thursday.
“The committee is very sorry for the beating done by the military police officials under the command of the construction [company] manager,” the HRAC statement, released Thursday, reads. “The construction company ordered the military police to beat the construction worker.”
(Additional reporting by Kim Chan)
