The wife of a slain Funcinpec commune election candidate was shot and killed by unknown assailants early Tuesday in Kompong Cham province, a police official said.
Sok Chan, 39, widow of Funcinpec commune election candidate Sam Saran and a Funcinpec activist, was shot and killed at 2:30 am in Kroich commune, Prey Chhor district, Seng Sokhim, deputy police chief of Kompong Cham province, said Tuesday.
Unidentified assailants set fire to Sok Chan’s rice-storage shed early Tuesday, waking her and drawing her out the of house, Seng Sokhim said. She was shot dead when she emerged from the house, Seng Sokhim said. Police have no suspects, the deputy chief added.
A human rights official disputed some of the details in the police report, saying that the assailants lighted the fire underneath Sok Chan’s home.
“Nobody knows who the killer is or how many people were involved, but we are investigating the case,” he said.
Sam Saran, who was the ninth candidate for Kroich commune during the Feb 3 commune elections, served as a Funcinpec activist until his death in August. Sok Chan reportedly took over his work as an activist and was one of the witnesses to her husbands death.
The killing follows an almost identical pattern of the killing of her husband, who was shot to death Aug 21.
According to previous reports, Sam Saran was killed after he refused to allow his daughter to marry Soeun Kek, a local man living in the area.
On the night of Aug 21, Soeun Kek allegedly lighted a fire underneath Sam Saran’s house. When Sam Saran and his daughter fled the house, Soeun Kek allegedly shot them both to death.
Soeun Kek has been charged with the killing and is awaiting trial in the Kompong Cham provincial prison.
