As the thousands of mourners who attended Chea Vichea’s cremation ceremony returned to their homes and workplaces on Sunday afternoon, the question on many minds was who killed the union leader, and why?
Now the question is who will next fall victim to the “death squad” style killers who have struck at least eight times in Phnom Penh in the past year.
“There will be more killings and a person more popular than [Chea Vichea]…because there are no arrests or punishment,” Som Mony, 32, a teacher in Phnom Penh said Monday.
Som Mony and several others interviewed Monday said they believed Chea Vichea was killed for political reasons, and more will follow.
Seven of those targeted by hitmen in the last year are dead, and popular singer Touch Srey Nich remains in a Bangkok hospi-
tal, paralyzed and facing return
to Phnom Penh now that
government funds and promises to pay for her treatment have dried up.
In five of the shootings, the opposition Sam Rainsy Party and Funcinpec alleged that a political motive lay behind the attack and either implied or blamed forces aligned with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s CPP government.
Though government and police officials remain reserved in ascribing any political motive to the slew of killings, CPP members have said that an elaborate conspiracy may be at work among the opposition party to undermine and embarrass their administration.
Whatever the truth, many believe that powerful political
figures are behind the killings, that hired assassins are following a pattern in their attacks, and that those assassins have not yet finished their rampage.
“This is a watershed killing that will not only send shock waves through the labor movement, but may also silence and intimidate opposition activists and journalists,” US-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement received on Monday.
The killers are targeting the most outspoken and “credible” leaders in different sections of society, Funcinpec’s Mu Sochua said on Friday.
Buddhist monk Sam Bunthoeun was shot twice in the chest inside Wat Langka in February. As president of the Buddhist Meditation Center in Kompong Speu province’s Odong district, he was apparently in favor of monks voting in the general election.
Two weeks later, Om Radsady, an adviser to Prince Norodom Ranariddh was shot and killed in a brutal daylight robbery. Though two members of the elite 911 Paratrooper Commando unit were found guilty of the killing, few Funcinpec members believe the motive was simply robbery.
In October, radio reporter Chuor Chetharith was shot dead outside the pro-Funcinpec FM 90.5 Ta Prohm radio station. He was killed just days after Hun Sen warned the station to cease criticism of his speeches.
Days later, singer Touch Srey Nich was shot twice in the face and once in the neck. Her mother died in the attack. Though her family denied she had any links to politics, Funcinpec officials said the young singer had recently recorded songs in favor of the royalist party.
“The way [Chea Vichea] was killed…was the same as the way Chuor Chetharith was killed,” Mu Sochua said.
“There are three things you have to ask if these cases are not resolved. Is it the lack of expertise? Is it the lack of political will? Is it the lack of means?”
Thun Saray, director of local rights group Adhoc, said the killings have had a chilling affect and many are wondering who will be targeted next.
“It is very difficult with the political deadlock and a deteriorating situation. Everyone is scared now,” he said.
While the US made a strong public statement following Chea Vichea’s killing, there was a worrying silence from the rest of Cambodia’s international donor community, Thun Saray said.
The international community must balance its behind-the-scenes diplomatic talk with strong public statements when necessary, Thun Saray said. “We have to stop the killing,” he said.
Deputy Municipal Police Chief Heng Pov said on Monday it was too early to determine what the motive was for Chea Vichea’s killing.
However, Heng Pov said he did not believe there were any links between Chea Vichea’s death and the last three shootings.
“I investigated about Chuor Chetharith’s case and Touch Srey Nich’s case many times and…so I can [say] this is a different case,” Heng Pov said.
No one should jump to conclusions regarding the killing of Chea Vichea and the police should be allowed do their work, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said on Monday.
People “must not jump to anything,” Khieu Kanharith said.
But even if politics was not the motive, it will be hard to convince people otherwise, Kek Galabru, president of local human right group Licadho, said on Friday.
“With this kind of violence it means that our environment is very tense and can be seen by some as intimidation. Even if it wasn’t political, people believe it was political,” Kek Galabru said.
On Monday evening the Sam Rainsy Party issued a “white list” of five officials who they alleged are on a CPP assassination list.
Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Ung Bun-Ang said his party released the statement to deter further attacks and to make the government responsible for their safety.
The list included opposition party leader Sam Rainsy, secretary general Eng Chhay Eang, Funcinpec Secretary-General Prince Norodom Sirivudh, Kem Sokha, president of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association.
“The CPP are now responsible for the lives of those people,” Ung Bun-Ang said.
