the cambodia daily
Local human rights groups on Thursday criticized the police investigation into the killing of union leader and opposition party activist Chea Vichea as flawed and illegal.
The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee, a coalition of 17 NGOs, called for the release of murder suspects Born Samnang, 23, and Sok Sam Oeun, 36, “because the arrests conflict with legal procedure and the suspects were not at the scene of the crime.”
CHRAC called the arrests illegal “because they were carried out with no court order, no basis and no clear evidence.”
It cited the claims of numerous people, who said Born Samnang was at their Prey Veng province village when Chea Vichea was shot in Phnom Penh on Jan 22.
CHRAC also said it had received complaints from people who claimed to have been threatened after “they reported the truth.”
The coalition urged authorities to conduct a lawful and transparent investigation, while ensuring security for suspects, witnesses and the victim’s family.
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights also issued a
skeptical review of the probe Thursday.
It cited Born Samnang’s Prey Veng alibi and police taking away his girlfriend and her mother the day their testimonies were reported in The Cambodia Daily as evidence of a poorly conducted investigation.
“There are some dubious points related to the arrests of the suspects in the killing of Chea Vichea,” Kem Sokha, CCHR president, said.
CCHR appealed to authorities “at all levels to avoid torturing the accused and threatening and intimidating witnesses and the families of the accused. These acts contrast completely with the spirit of the Constitution.”
The Cambodia Watchdog Council, a coalition of student and union groups, issued a similar statement, appealing to King Norodom Sihanouk to intervene with the case.
Also on Thursday, investigating Judge Kong Seth issued a detention warrant for Suong Sokha, 30, who police arrested Wednesday afternoon for robbery.
Suong Sokha was arrested Jan 28, along with Sok Sam Oeun, as a suspect in the Chea Vichea murder and later released.
This week, he was the third person arrested in three days who had informed human rights investigators and reporters of alibis for the detained suspects.
“My case was resolved more than two years ago. Everything is finished,” Suong Sokha said Thursday at the Municipal Court, referring to the robbery charges.
“There may be somebody who hates me and wants to mistreat me,” he said.
Asked if he thought his arrest was tied to the Chea Vichea investigation, Suong Sokha replied, “I wonder.”
Prosecutor Ok Savuth, who pressed the robbery charges against Suong Sokha, could not be reached.
Kong Seth said he did not believe Suong Sokha was guilty of robbery but denied ulterior motives for the arrest.
“He is not really the robber, but another man testified against him in the [2002] trial,” the investigating judge said.
Suong Sokha will be detained indefinitely at Prey Sar prison, Kong Seth said.
The US Embassy also gave a statement Thursday, clarifying a statement given Wednesday by Municipal Police Chief Suon Chheangly, who had said embassy officials had worked with Municipal Deputy Police Chief Heng Pov on the case.
“We have not participated in the investigation. Since the Jan 22 killing, we have maintained contact with Royal Government of Cambodia officials to express a strong desire to see an effective investigation to get to the people behind the killing,” David Gainer, embassy spokesman, said.
On Feb 2, US Ambassador Charles Ray said that the investigation had been “proper and professional” thus far.
Asked if that assessment had changed, Gainer said, “It remains too early to judge the results of the investigation. As the investigation proceeds, we call on the Cambodian authorities to pay particular attention to protecting the safety of any witnesses to the crime or anyone who may have information regarding the activities of the current suspects.”
Heng Pov said he did not know of US involvement in his investigation and did not know why Suon Chheangly had spoken of such a cooperation.
(Reported by Phann Ana, Kim Chan and Porter Barron)
