A Sam Rainsy Party official is charging that intimidation of prospective commune election candidates is increasing, but authorities deny the charge.
Eng Chhay Eang, party secretary-general, listed five incidents of alleged intimidation during January, including the shooting death of Phun Phann, 32, who died four days after he was attacked in Tuk Chrouv commune in Kompong Cham province.
Eng Chhay Eang said there have been 24 cases of political violence against party members since 1999. He said authorities have made arrests in only one case, another death in Kompong Cham.
“I have sent 24 cases to the Interior Ministry and local authorities to help them find suspects,” he said. “The reply is, we have wrong information and that it is personal disputes, not political. What we get back completely contradicts our complaints.”
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak denied the allegations.
“We do not consider anyone as a political party member,” he said. “We find justice for victims if they have problems.
“Recently we found out the killers for one of the cases in Kampot. Opposition party members always try to show contempt for the government’s work.”
Kompong Cham province police Chief Kang Sokhorn said his officers arrested two people last year in the killing an opposition party member. The suspects remain in jail.
“Police do arrest perpetrators,” Kang Sokhorn said. “If they do wrong, they will be punished.”
Prey Veng province Deputy Governor Chay Sareth said officials are still looking for suspects in a suspected political killing last August. “They seem to be hiding somewhere else,” he said. “It’s not easy. We do not have a big budget for investigations.”
