In Cardamom Mountains, Two Deaths Recounted

Deep in Koh Kong’s forested district on Thursday, Chut Wutty, 46, the founder of the Natural Resource Protection Group, and In Rattana, 32, a military police officer, were shot dead. Chut Wutty, a forestry activist who has dedicated himself to preserving Cambodia’s disappearing forests since 2001, was traveling from Pursat to Koh Kong province to investigate illegal logging in the area. Two journalists from the Cambodia Daily, Phorn Bopha, 27 and Olesia Plokhii, 27, were traveling with Wutthy as a part of a story on grassroots efforts to prevent illegal logging. This is their story on the death of the two men. … … Ms. Plokhii had been getting in the passenger side of the car when the shots were fired and did not see where they had come from. Ms. Bopha also did not see the shooter. Both Ms. Bopha and Ms. Plokhii dived out of the car and ran across the dirt road a few meters into the forest. As there was no more shooting, they re-emerged from the forest less than one minute later to find a military police officer lying wounded on the ground in front of the car. Chut Wutty was in the driver’s seat, his body slumped to one side. … …Ms. Bopha and Ms. Plokhii did not feel safe. The soldiers reiterated they were not allowed to leave. … … Later, with a court prosecutor present, they removed Chut Wutty’s body from the car. He was laid on clear white plastic and his belongings were placed with him. One of those items was a handgun. As darkness fell over the crime scene, Chut Wutty and In Rattana’s bodies were put in separate vehicles and taken to Koh Kong town. …