Beyond Chea Vichea, Many Cases Lack Accountability, Justice
Ahead of the 10-year anniversary on Wednesday of the assassination of Free Trade Union (FTU) President Chea Vichea, police said Monday that despite their inability to bring anyone to justice for the high-profile slaying, the case remains open. However, Chea Mony, the brother of Chea Vichea, reiterated his long-held belief that the government covered up the killing of his sibling. “I think that the murderers are protected by their master, which is the government; if they did not have a master, they would be arrested,” said Mr. Mony, who went on to replace his brother as president of the FTU in 2004. … Two scapegoats for the murder, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, each served five years in prison before they were finally released on the order of the Supreme Court due to lack of evidence. When asked Monday why no one had yet faced justice for killing the country’s highest-profile union leader 10 years ago this week, Lieutenant General Mok Chito, director of the Interior Ministry’s Judicial Central Department, said an investigation was ongoing. … But beyond the tragedy of Chea Vichea lies a litany of other “unsolved” cases: the murders of two other FTU leaders, 11 journalists, opposition party politicians and supporters, and garment factory workers. Such cases have never been independently or credibly investigated by police, rights workers say. Local human rights group Licadho has identified 10 fatal shootings by police or military police between 2012 and 2013 alone—none of which have resulted in a “credible prosecution or investigation.” “Despite a progressive Constitution and ratification of most international treaties and conventions, the Cambodian government has systematically allowed law enforcement, military personnel and high-ranking government officials total impunity for the past two decades while its citizens are beaten, shot dead, wounded, arrested and sent to prison for only trying to raise critical social and human rights issues to the public,” Licadho director Naly Pilorge said. …
Khy Sovuthy and Lauren Crothers
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/eu-ambassador-distances-local-delegation-from-resolution-50914/
