The Kompong Thom provincial court has not yet issued an arrest warrant for a man charged with killing a Sam Rainsy Party activist, despite pressure from provincial police to move on the case.
The suspect, King Chhor, was charged with intentionally killing Sam Rainsy Party activist Tiv Sivutha on May 8, Kompong Thom provincial Court Prosecutor Huot Hy said Thursday. King Chhor is still at large in Kompong Thom province.
“I charged him with intentionally killing [Tiv Sivutha] because, according to the police report, King Chhor and the victim had an argument,” Huot Hy said.
Kompong Thom Judge Em Kim Eang, who is responsible for issuing the warrant, could not be reached for comment Thursday.
At the time of the killing, authorities said Tiv Sivutha was killed for personal reasons. However, Sam Rainsy Party members and human rights investigators said he was killed because of his work for the opposition party in Kompong Thom.
Men Rithy, penal police officer in Kompong Thom, said he sent his police report about the killing to the court one month ago, but the courts have still not issued the warrant.
He maintained that the motive behind the killing of Tiv Sivutha was personal.
Tiv Sivutha reportedly witnessed a robbery allegedly committed by King Chhor’s brother, and Tiv Sivutha and King Chhor also “always had arguments,” Men Rithy said on Thursday.
On the day of the killing, villagers saw King Chhor and Tiv Sivutha riding together on a motorcycle, Men Rithy said. Tiv Sivutha was later found shot to death.
At least seven members of Funcinpec or the Sam Rainsy Party have been killed since the Feb 3 commune elections, and 24 have faced threats or intimidation, the human rights group Adhoc reported in September.
