A Statement from the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Date: 15 October 2014
Name: Taing Try
Category: Journalist
Location: Kratie Province
Nature of threat: Murder
Brief Description:
On 12 October 2014, journalist Taing Try was found dead near his car in Khsoem Khang Krao village, Khsoem commune, Snuol district, Kratie Province. Mr. Taing Try was a member of the journalist association “Khmer Bracheathibtey” (“Khmer Democracy”) in East Kratie province. The night of the killing, he was investigating on alleged illegal transportation of luxury wood with five other journalists. The journalists had allegedly found that 23 oxcarts were transporting illegal timber from Mondulkiri Province to Memut District in Kampong Cham Province then to Vietnam. On his way back home, Mr. Taing Try’s car got stuck in a muddy road at 11.30 pm. At 12am his colleague who was travelling with him left the scene, to seek help from villagers. At 1am villagers found Mr. Taing Try’s body dead near his car.
Mr. Taing Try was previously detained twice, the latest only a week before his death. Police accused him of extortion as he was investigating on illegal transportation of luxury timber.
On 12 October, the police arrested three suspects in Khseom commune, Snoul District: the chief of Sre Chhouk commune police in Keo Seima district, Mondulkiri Province; a military police officer from the capital Phnom Penh, and a soldier from Mondulkiri Province. On 14 October, Kratie Provincial Court charged them with murder. Although they all confessed taking part in the murder of Mr. Taing Try, their motives have still to be determined.
Mr. Taing Try is the thirteenth journalist killed in Cambodia since 1994 and the second killed in 2014. Journalist Suon Chan was killed in February 2014 following his reporting on alleged illegal fisheries in Cholkiri District, Kampong Chhnang Province.
For more information please contact CCHR Protecting Fundamental Freedom Project Coordinator Chhay Chhunly via telephone at +855 (0) 17 52 80 21 or e-mail at chhunly.chhay@cchrcambodia.org
or CCHR Executive Director Chak Sopheap via +855 (0) 11 94 32 13
+855 (0) 11 94 32 13or e-mail at chaksopheap@cchrcambodia.org
The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) is a non-aligned, independent, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect democracy and respect for human rights throughout Cambodia. For more information, please visit www.cchrcambodia.org.
