CAMBODIA: Journalist receives death threats from government official after exposing his neglect of duties

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a journalist working for Koh Santepheap newspaper, Try Vantha, 46, has been threatened by a senior official of the social affairs department in Preah Vihear province. On 13 November 2007, Try was in a restaurant where the official, Kim Thany, was also present. While inside, Kim warned Try to refrain from writing reports about him otherwise he would be killed. Kim was angry over Try’s news report published in his newspaper in April 2007 exposing neglect in his work which results in long delays in the payment of pensions and allowances for disabled soldiers and their widows.

CASE DETAILS: (Based on the account of the victim and other sources)

In April this year, Try Vantha (46), a disabled veteran and journalist working for Koh Santepheap newspaper in Preah Vihear province wrote an article exposing Kim Thany’s incompetence and neglect. Kim, director of the Social Affairs Department in the province, and his companions were said to be responsible for the long delays in payment of pensions to disabled soldiers and allowances to the widows of soldiers.

Try reported that because of Kim incompetence the pensioners have had to wait up to a year before receiving their supposedly monthly pensions or allowances. Try’s report had reportedly angered Kim.

In the afternoon of November 13, Try happened to be in Tong Heng restaurant in Phearakech village, Palhal commune, where Kim was also present. At 5:40p.m., in the middle of the restaurant’s crowd, Kim, who was seating next to a table where Try was seated, stood up and pointed his finger to him. Kim then ridiculed Try by calling him in a derogatory title for a person of inferior status.

Kim angrily threatened Try not to write anything more about him again or he would hire his military friend to kill him. Kim was heard telling Try as: ‘If you write about me again, I’ll spend USD 10,000 to get my friend, deputy Army Commander in Preah Vihear province, to kill you.’ Kim further ridiculed him saying: ‘The status of you [Try], journalist, cannot equal mine, [I am the] Director of the Social Affairs Department.’

When Kim was later asked about the threat he had made on Try, he denied it. He instead claimed that Try was drunk at the time of incident and that he could charge him with anything. In an apparent show off of arrogance, Kim added he and Try were not equal ‘in weight’ so he would not bother responding to Try’s accusations.

Try had kept the threat to himself for several weeks before informing the editor of his newspaper about it. He had already filed a criminal complaint against Kim for attempted murder. In Cambodia, once a person made threats to another, they can be charged for attempted murder, unlike in other countries where they would be charged either for threats or grave threats. The Cambodian law does not define ‘threat’ as a criminal offense.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

There have been incidents of threats, targeted attacks and violence against journalists in Cambodia, in particular those involved in reporting or exposing corrupt and illegal practices by government officials and the security forces.

On November 27, a female journalist, Ms. Som Sithavry, was interviewing a military police commander in Sandan district in Kampong Thom province regarding a brawl involving two military police officers. While she was interviewing, a military police captain cut in and threatened her saying: ‘Do the job properly, otherwise I will break your legs’. Please read for details: UA-334-2007

On August 10, the house of journalist Phon Phat (41) was also torched in Ba Kan district, Posat. The torching happened days after he received two threatening telephone calls from numbers registered to members of security forces. He was threatened after he reported illegal logging activities to the forestry administration and for writing stories about it to his newspaper. Please read for details: UA-256-2007

On August 4, another journalist, Mr. Heng Veasna, was also assaulted by a military police officer in Toul Kroh village, Posat province. Heng was on the way back home after collecting information on two illegal shooting cases by a military police officer and a chief prosecutor when he was assaulted. Please read for details: UA-252-2007

On May 2, journalist Chim Chenda working for Kampuchea Thmei (New Cambodia) also received a death threat from an army general. General Pol Synoun, chief deputy for the international relations office of Cambodia-Thailand border affair, pointed his pistol at Chim whom he had forced to kneel down to and apologize for calling him ‘Brother Noun’. Chim denied he had uttered such word to the general. Please read for details: UA-152-2007

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send your letters to the authorities listed below requesting their intervention to take appropriate action on Kim Thany. The criminal complaint against him must be resolve immediately. They should also take adequate measures to ensure the victim’s safety and security; and ensure he would be allowed to carry on his duties without being subject to threats.

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