Deputy Municipal Police Chief Heng Pov on Monday released a sketch of a man police believe to be the killer of union leader Chea Vichea.
Chea Vichea was shot dead Thursday in front of a newspaper stall in Phnom Penh. Witnesses said a young man jumped from a Honda motorbike, driven by another man, to shoot the unionist in the head, heart and hand.
At a news conference at Municipal Police Headquarters Monday, Heng Pov said police believe the killer is a man, about 24 years old, with a history of gang activity and drug use.
The killing of Chea Vichea—an opposition party supporter who often rallied the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia to protest the government—is widely thought to be politically motivated.
But Heng Pov said Monday that the results of his investigation have nothing to do with
politics.
“I demand justice for the victims. I don’t want to see the killing again and again,” he said.
Heng Pov said the suspect was not involved in the killing of radio journalist Chuor Chetharith, or the shooting of popular singer Touch Srey Nich, both of whom were affiliated with Funcinpec.
On Friday, Heng Pov said police suspected an acquaintance of Chea Vichea who had “split” with the victim.
Heng Pov on Monday also ruled out the possibility that the killer was the same person who had sent Chea Vichea a threatening message in July.
Police had advised Chea Vichea, 40, to go into hiding after he received a death threat during the national election campaign. The union leader said then that police advised him to be careful, as the man who sent the message was a high-ranking government official.
Heng Pov said the highest government authorities, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, had ordered him to arrest the killer.
Human Rights Watch, an international rights monitor based in New York, said in a statement Saturday that Chea Vichea’s slaying was the latest in a string of political killings.
“This assassination will surely exacerbate the climate of fear for workers, journalists, environment and human rights activists who speak out or publicly demonstrate to express their views,” said Sara Colm, senior researcher in Human Rights Watch’s Asia division.
Chea Vichea’s partner, Chea Kim Ny, said Monday that she is making plans to leave Cambodia to live with relatives in the US.
“Last night I slept alone and felt scared, so I called the Sam Rainsy Party for bodyguards,” she said. “I’m really, really scared.”
Chea Kim Ny, the mother of the late union leader’s 2-year-old daughter and unborn child, said she has started to apply for a passport.
“The US promised to help, but so far I haven’t seen them yet,” she said, adding that US Ambassador Charles Ray visited her at her home last week.
US Embassy spokeswoman Heide Bronke declined to comment on whether the US would support Chea Kim Ny.
(Additional reporting by Kate Woodsome)
