[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Cambodian authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Cambodian authorities are attached below with this appeal. Thank you.]
CAMBODIA: use of illegal weapon; torture; corruption; impunity; abuse of power
————————————-
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Right Commission (AHRC) has received information of the brutal assault and shooting of three men on 31 October 2006 in the north of Central Market (Phsa Thmey) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia by a tycoon’s bodyguards. The incident took place due to a small traffic accident between the two concerned parties. The alleged perpetrators are believed as police officers as they were in a Jeep bearing a police license plate number. None of them have yet been identified nor arrested due to inaction of the police and prosecutors.
According to the information we have received, a Suzuki Viva motorbike carrying three men who work as security guards in a Khmer Security private company collided with a luxury Mercedes Benz in the north of Central Market (Phsa Thmey) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia at around 8:30pm on 31 October 2006. After the minor accident happened the luxury Mercedes vehicle did not stop but the four bodyguards following in a Jeep bearing police license plate number 02 23 proceeded to pistol-whip the three men and started assaulting them in public.
Furthermore, one of the three men, Sin Sinan, 24, working for the Khmer Security company, received a serious gun shot wound in the back. Nheim Vesna, 22, was beaten bloody by the four bodyguards. Nheim Sothearith, 27, was injured too. The bodyguards then left the scene in the Jeep. After they had left the Daun Penh district police arrived at the scene and took the victims to the near by Tong Sing hospital.
On the following day, 1 November 2006, the victims left the Tong Sing hospital without informing the local human right investigators, police or journalists. They seem seriously afraid to cooperate with the police or the human rights group.
To date, none of the alleged perpetrators have been identified and arrested by the police. In fact, the investigation has never been conducted. The AHRC was informed that it should not be difficult for the police to identify and arrest the alleged perpetrators as they have information of the vehicle’s plate number. It is believed that the police or prosecutor does not dare to investigate because the Jeep bore a police license plate and was guarding a luxury Mercedes vehicle that may belong to a politician, high-rank government official or other influential figure. It is a common feature in Cambodia that the police officers do bodyguard jobs for the politicians, high-rank government officials, or even businessmen, although this is clearly out of their mandate.
In such a serious criminal case, the Cambodian general prosecutor or the municipal court prosecutor must launch an independent, effective and thorough investigation in this incident immediately and bring the alleged perpetrators to justice. Adequate medical treatment should be provided to the three victims as well. Persons illegally using fire arms and weapons must be strictly punished by law so that the related crimes are effectively controlled.
Besides, if the person (owner), who was in luxury Mercedes Benz, is identified as a politician or government official, he also bears the moral responsibility in his failure to supervise his bodyguards.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant Cambodian authorities listed below and express your deep concern about this serious case. Please urge them to take action to ensure that an independent and thorough investigation is conducted into the incident and that the alleged perpetrators are identified and prosecuted accordingly.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ________,
CAMBODIA: Two men seriously assaulted and another man shot by men who are alleged to be policemen
Name of victims:
1. Sin Sinan, aged 24, an employee at Khmer Security Company, Phnom Penh, seriously wounded by gun shot
2. Nheim Vesna, aged 22, victim 1’s colleague, seriously assaulted
3. Nheim Sothearith, aged 27, victim 1’s colleague, seriously assaulted
Alleged perpetrators: Unidentified four men who are alleged to be policemen
Date of incident: 31 October 2006
Place of incident: Street no. 126 north of Central market in Sangkat Phsa Thmey I, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
I am writing to reveal my deep concern over a blatant assault of the three men mentioned above by the four unidentified men who are alleged to be policemen on 31 October 2006. One of the victims sustained a gunshot wound while the other two were seriously injured due to the assault.
According to the information I have received, a Suzuki Viva motorbike carrying the three victims collided with a luxury Mercedes Benz in the north of central market (Phsa Thmey) point on the street number 126 in Sangkat Phsa Thmei I, Khann Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia at 8: 30 pm on 31 October 2006. After a minor accident happened, the luxury Mercedes vehicle did not stop but the four bodyguards in a Jeep following behind (bearing a police license plate number 02 23) severely assaulted the three victims with their weapons in public. One of the victims, Sin Sinan, 24, was even shot once in the back and seriously wounded and Nheim Vesna, 22, and Nheim Sothearith, 27, were severely injured. The victims were taken to Tong Sing hospital by the Daun Penh district police but on the following day on November 1, they left the hospital without informing anyone due to fear.
The alleged perpetrators are believed to be policemen because it is common feature in Cambodia that the police officers work as bodyguards for the politicians, high-rank government officials, or even businessmen, although this is out of their mandate.
I was also informed that to date the investigation has never been conducted in this incident, even though it should not be difficult to identify and arrest the alleged perpetrators by the police as they have information of the vehicle plate number. In such a serious criminal case, the Cambodian general prosecutor or the municipal court prosecutor must have launched an independent, effective and thorough investigation immediately but they failed to do so. As a result, none of the alleged perpetrators have been identified and arrested by the police. It is believed that the police or prosecutor do not dare to investigate because the Jeep bore a police license plate and guarded a luxury Mercedes vehicle that may belong to a politician, high-rank government official or other influential figure.
I therefore strongly urge you to order an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident, identify the alleged perpetrators and bring them before court as soon as possible. The Cambodian general prosecutor or the municipal court prosecutor must intervene into this matter and conduct an investigation. I also urge you to ensure that adequate medical treatment should be provided to the three victims as well. I further urge you to ensure that persons illegally using fire arms and weapons must be strictly punished by law so that the related crimes are effectively controlled.
Besides, if the person (owner), who was in luxury Mercedes Benz, is identified as a politician or government official, he should also bear moral responsibility in the failure of supervising his bodyguards.
Sincerely yours,
——————–
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Samdech Hun Sen
Prime Minister
Cabinet of the Prime Minister
No. 38, Russian Federation Street
PhnomPenh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 23 21 98 98
Fax: +855 23 36 06 66
E-mail: cabinet1b@camnet.com.kh
2. Mr. Sar Kheng
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
275 Norodom Blvd.
Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Tel/fax: +855 23 72 19 05/72 6052/72 11 90
E-Mail: info@interior.gov.kh or moi@interior.gov.kh
3. Mr. Ang Vong Vathna
Minster of Justice
No 240, Sothearos Blvd.
Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Fax: + 855 23 36 4119/21 66 22
4. Mr. Henro Raken
Prosecutor GeneralCourt of Appeal
No. 14, Boulevard Sothearos
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 23 21 84 60
5. General Hok Lundy
National Police Commissioner
General-Commisariat of National Police
Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Tel/Fax: +855 23 21 65 85/22 09 52
6. Uk Savuth
Prosecutor of Phnom Penh municipal court
No. 31, Monireth (St. 217), corner street 213,
Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Tel: +855 12 910 938
8. Ms Margo Picken
Director
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Cambodia
N¢X 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 +85523 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 Paix1211
Geneva 10,
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 91 79214
Fax: +4122 91 79018 (ATTENTION: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE CAMBODIA)
10. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10,
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EXECUTIONS)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
