Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from reliable sources that a military police commander assaulted a man in Stung Treng province on 16 November 2007. The victim suffered injuries to his leg as a result of the assault. It is reported that the commander has a prior record of assault by using his position and a case was filed six month ago. However, to date, no investigation has been conducted.
CASE DETAILS:
There was a traditional religious fete at the Buddhist monastery of Tuol Roluos, Pha Baing village, Seang pang District in the northeastern province of Stung Treng on 16 November 2007 which was followed by a dance.
At around 10:30pm while the dance was going on, Nou Say Bun went up and requested a song from the head of the musicians. According to eye witnesses, he was slightly drunk. Sim Vanna, a District Military Police Commander, in plain clothes who was there at the time told Nou Say Bun off. Sim Vanna was prominent in the area and villagers known him to be a District Military Police Commander. A quarrel ensued and soon, Sim Vanna slapped and kicked Nou Say Bun for some time. The correct action was to have called the police to settle the dispute but it is believed that Sim Vanna abuses his position by assaulting Nou Say Bun under the pretext of subduing him. As a result of this assault, Nou Say Bun suffered injuries to his leg. Many other villagers witnessed the assault.
Nou Say Bun is now seeking assistance from a local NGO to file a criminal lawsuit against to Sim Vanna to seek justice.
However, it is reported that this is not the first incident of assault by Sim Vanna by abusing his power and position as a commander. According to Say Saly, another villager in the area has claimed that, Sim Vanna had assaulted him after a quarrel over luxurious wood trading. He had filed a criminal lawsuit but, to date, no action has been taken.
The AHRC is concerned by the assault of villagers by the District Military Police Commander. Legal or disciplinary action must be taken against Sim Vanna if these assaults on the villagers prove true. The AHRC is concerned that even though the victim has filed a case against the commander, there will be no thorough and impartial investigation into the assault by the commander due to his misuse of his position and power.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send your letters to the authorities listed below to call for action against Sim Vanna to find justice for Nou Say Bun and also Say Saly.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _______
CAMBODIA: A military police commander assaulted a man in Stung Treng province
Name of victims and date of incident:
1. Mr. Nou Say Bun, assaulted, slapped and kicked about, 16 November 2007
2. Mr. Say Saly, assaulted, slapped and beaten, May 2007
Name of alleged perpetrator: Sim Vanna, District Military Police Commander
Place of recent incident: Phar Baing village, Thmar Keo commune, Seang Pang district, Stung Treng province
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the assault of a man by a District Military Police Commander in Stung Treng province on 16 November 2007.
I am informed that at 10:30pm, in a dance following a religious fete in Tuol Rorluos monastery, Thmar Keo commune, Seang Pang district in the northeastern province of Stung Treng, the military police commander of the district named Sim Vanna abused his power when he assaulted a villager name Nou Say Bun, 46, slapping and kicking him about. Sim Vanna assaulted Nou Say Bun after a quarrel when Nou Say Bun went up to request a song from the head of the music group for the dance. Nou Say Bun suffered injuries to his leg as a result of the kicks.
I am also informed that the commander had also assaulted another villager named Say Saly six months earlier following a quarrel over luxurious wood trading. Say Saly filed a criminal lawsuit against the commander but to date no action has been taken against Sim Vanna.
Therefore, I strongly urged you to take both disciplinary and legal action against Sim Vanna to find justice for his victims by thorough and impartial investigation if the assaults on villagers prove true. I am of the opinion that he is not fit to serve the military police force because he has record of violence. If he continues serving the military police, he should be sent to undergo rigorous retraining to rid of his violence and become a military police officer who will serve and protect the people, not assault them.
I trust that you will take immediate action into this case.
Yours sincerely,
———————–
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Samdech Hun Sen
Prime Minister
Cabinet of the Prime Minister
No. 38, Russian Federation Street
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 2321 9898
Fax: +855 23 36 0666
E-mail: cabinet1b@camnet.com.kh
2. Mr. Sar Kheng
Deputy-Prime Minister
Minister of Interior
No.275 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax/phone: +855 23 721 905 / 23 726 052 / 23 721 190
E-Mail: info@interior.gov.kh or moi@interior.gov.kh
3. Mr. Tea banh
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of National Defence
Russian Federation Street
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855-23 883184 / 428171
Fax: +855-23 883184
E-mail: info@mond.gov.kh
4. Mr. Ang Vong Vathna
Minster of Justice
No 240, Sothearos Blvd.
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: +855 23 36 4119 / 21 6622
E-mail: moj@cambodia.gov.kh
5. Mr. Henro Raken
Prosecutor-General
Court of Appeal
No 240, Sothearos Blvd.
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 11 86 27 70
Fax: +855 23 21 66 22
6. General Hok Lundy
National Police Commissioner
General-Commisariat of National Police
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 23 21 65 85
Fax: +855 23 22 09 52
7. General Sao Sokha
Commander
Military Police
Mao Tse Tung Blvd
Khan Tuol Kok
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Tel: +855 12 36 3636
8. Mr. Christophe Peschoux
Director
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – Cambodia
N 10, Street 302
Sangkat Boeng Keng Kang I
Khan Chamcar Mon
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Tel: +855 23 987 671 / 987 672, 993 590 / 993 591 or +855 23 216 342
Fax: +855 23 212 579 / 213 587
9 Prof. Yash Ghai
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for human rights in Cambodia
Attn: Ms. Afarin Shahidzadeh
Room 3-080
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 91 79214
Fax: +41 22 91 79018 (ATTENTION: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE CAMBODIA)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)
