Military and municipal police are in negotiations to reach an out-of-court resolution over their assault by Phnom Penh police chief Chuon Sovann prior to King Father Norodom Sihanouk’s cremation last week, military police spokesman Kheng Tito said on Sunday.
The Sunday before the February 4 cremation, Liutenant General Sovann struck two military police officers guarding the late King’s cremation site after they allowed a group of elderly mourners into a restricted area. He hit one of the officers on the neck and hit the other, Captain Vong Bunna, three times in the ribs.
Immediately after the incident, Mr. Bunna and the other officer said they were considering pressing charges against Mr. Sovann, but would wait until after the King Father’s cremation to file a complaint with the court.
On Sunday, however, Colonel Tito said that national military police commander Sao Sokha had ordered Phnom Penh military police commander Ya Kim Y to work out a compromise and arrange compensation between the parties involved.
“The commander has ordered Phnom Penh military police commander Ya Kim Y, who is in charge of the case, to end it with a compromise,” Col. Tito said. “Compromising to end the case means that no one should file a complaint to the court, and I don’t know how much the compensation is,” he said. “It is not a big problem and we don’t want this case to be going on for too long, and we are also cooperating with each other.”
Major General Ya Kim Y declined to comment.
Mr. Bunna said on Sunday that he had reported the incident to his superior and was awaiting response.
“I don’t know what’s going on with the solution, but related to this case I have already made a report to the commander and I am waiting for a solution,” Mr. Bunna said.
Mr. Sovann could not be reached.
