Suicide Cited in Military Police Officer’s Death
The military police officer who killed well-known anti-logging campaigner Chut Wutty, 46, on Thursday in Koh Kong province then died by his own hand after turning his AK-47 assault rifle on himself in an apparent act of instant suicide following the slaying of the forestry activist, officials said on Tuesday. The officer, In Rattana, 32, opened fire on Mr. Wutty and killed him as he sat in the driver seat of his vehicle after the anti-logging activist was detained by a group of soldiers who demanded that he and two journalists from the Cambodia Daily hand over their cameras, which they had used to photograph suspected illegal logging in Mondol Seima district. … “There is only one person that shot, and he is dead,” Col. Samoeun said, adding that the investigation was still ongoing. …. …The reported suicide was challenged by Mr. Wutty’s nephew, Chuon Phirom, who questioned how the deceased officer had managed to shoot himself twice in the chest with a rifle. … …Chan Soveth, deputy head of monitoring at local rights group Adhoc, said he arrived at the scene of the double shooting on Friday morning and he believed that there were many eyewitnesses to what happened, though they are afraid to speak out. …
