UPDATE (Cambodia): Police fail to investigate series of death threats against a journalist

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a journalist has received renewed threats on his life since January 2008 in Cambodia. He was warned “to be careful” and a number of live assault rifle cartridges were found in the yard. The AHRC has earlier reported series of death threats against him, but the police have failed to conduct any serious investigation.

CASE DETAILS:

On 18 January 2008 at 8am, Lem Pichpisey, known by his on-air pseudonym Lem Piseth, received on his mobile phone a text message in broken English from phone number +855175977523 to warn him “to be careful”. The message reads: “It’s metter in nations…belong here..Adtention…! Life’ve…I think 2U I readly story 4 you.. Pleased good luck everytime 4 ur family to..by..by…Adtention..”

Lem then sent a text message back asking who the sender was. He received a message back, again in Broken English, saying that he (the sender) was a high ranking official. The reply message reads: “I’m a high senor U never to know me But this number phone’s no me my number phone’s 0128…777 know?”

Later on, on February 15 around 3pm, Lem received a text message on his phone from the same phone number (+85517957523) seeking an appointment with him at a Chhaya Hotel in Battambang city. Lem sent a reply but it did not get through. Then at 7pm, he received yet another text message asking where he was: “Where’s now”. Lem sent a reply saying “At home”. At 9pm he received another message asking him to meet the sender at another hotel named Teo Hotel. Lem did not reply or go to the hotel fearing that the sender had set a trap to abduct and kill him as there were no lights from his house along the main road to that hotel.

Early in the morning of 10 April, Lem’s daughter, while sweeping the yard of the house, found six live assault rifle cartridges placed by the gate to his house located at Group 8, Wat Kor village, Wat Kor commune, Battambang district. This gate is three and a half meters from his bedroom. It is reported that these cartridges were a clear message that Lem was targeted and could be killed.

Lem immediately called on local human rights activists and journalists to visit the scene and reported the incident to the police.  Several police officers went to examine the scene but failed to conduct any serious investigation.

Lem went to Phnom Penh to get away from the latest threat, but while there, on April 13 before 6pm, a group of some eight men on motorcycle followed his motorcycle along a relatively quiet street, overtook him with loud engine noise and then three to four men riding on the back turned round and threateningly pointed fingers at him. Lem turned to a busier street to evade those men.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Lem Pichpisey is an investigative journalist. He is assigned to cover events in the Northwest of Cambodia, in the Battambang and Banteay Meanchey provinces. Prior to the latest incident he was dispatching news reports covering issues and events which are known to be very sensitive to high ranking officials, judicial officers and rapacious businessmen, exposing their corruption, land grabbing, illicit logging and abuse of power affecting the livelihood of the population. He also began an investigation into a crime following the death of a man in a casino on the Thai-Cambodian border in March.

In 2007 Lem received intimidation and threats on a number of occasions. In November he published a magazine called “Free Press Magazine”. The government then accused him of violating the Cambodian Constitution when his magazine contained an article opposing the granting to former King Norodom Sihanouk of immunity from prosecution by the Khmer Rouge tribunal for Sihanouk’s connection with the murderous Khmer Rouge. The police then confiscated all copies of his magazine and Lem was summoned for questioning. Lem fled the country after receiving an alarming threat that the government would send agents to hurt him (see further UP-148-2007)

Earlier on, in June, Lem received a death threat through his mobile phone after he had reported on the illegal logging activities and massive deforestation in Kompong Thom province for Radio Free Asia. He then went into hiding on the Thai-Cambodia border (see further UP-088-2007).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

In Cambodia corruption and illicit practices in public life are rife. Many “people in power” and rapacious businessmen have been involved in grabbing land occupied or owned by ordinary, weak and poor people. Through the use of an official position or money, these land grabbers can secure cooperation from courts and other public authorities to evict people from their homes and lands with no or unfair compensation. Corrupt officials, (especially the high-ranking ones) and powerful and rich land grabbers use different means, (including physical violence and arrest) to prevent or stop any exposure of, or protest against their activities.

Lem Pichpisey’s “Free Press Magazine” contained stories which the government considered sensitive. One such story was the murder of a famous actress named Pisith Pilika in 1999, with whom Prime Minister Hun Sen had allegedly had an affair prior to her murder. There have been allegations that Hun Sen’s wife was behind this murder. Publications discussing the murder prior to the story in the “Free Press Magazine” had been banned. It is likely that the accusation against Lem of violating the country’s constitution was to cover up the ban on the story of this particular murder case.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write your letters to the authorities listed below requesting them to take appropriate action to ensure Lem Pichpisey’s safety and security, and to conduct thorough investigation into the repeated threats on his life and bring the alleged perpetrators to justice.

Please be informed that the AHRC has written separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteru on Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of human rights in Cambodia and OHCHR in Cambodia calling for interventions in this case.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER