By Zakariya
Radio Free Asia
Reported in English by Khmerization
Six bodyguards of Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh (pictured) have been accused of beating up a young man until he passed out and seriously injuring two others, reports RFA.
Mrs. Korng Sikhem from Chak Chrouk village, Samrong Krom commune in Dangkor district of Phnom Penh city, has on 08 October accused a group of 6 Cham Prasidh’s bodyguards of beating up her children until one of them passed out and two others were seriously injured. However, the local authority did not act on her complaint.
Korng Sikhem claimed that 62 families in the village witnessed the beatings on the spot. She said that those villagers had put their thumbprints on a complaint which was sent to the police chief in Samrong Krom commune and the commune chief. However, the chiefs did not proceed with her complaint.
Korng Sikhem said: “There were many of them, they were all armed, they fired shots into the air, my son has collected two bullet shells. They fired shots like thunders, my son passed out on the ground, my daughter were terrified and crying and ran to hug her brother, then the villagers ran to get them out of the firing range. We lodged a complaint with the commune authority and at the police station. Everyone told me: ‘Don't try to knock an egg against the rock, we should be scared of them because we are very poor and very destitute'.”
The incident happened Sunday 04 October, when factory workers were arguing with each others near Cham Prasidh’s house which is located near Korng Sikhem’s house also. According to Ms. Korng Sikhem, her sons and her daughter, out of curiosity, went to the scene of the dispute. She said that when they returned back home, a group of [Cham Prasidh’s] bodyguards followed them and beat them up. At that time, her 30-year-old niece went to prevent the bodyguards from beating them, but they instead turned on her and beat her up also.
Touch Phoeun, the Samrong Krom commune chief and Im Kak, the Samrong Krom station police chief, declined to comment on the case because they said they are just lower-ranking officials and dare not dicuss about this case. They directed any questions regarding the case to the higher level officials.
At the time of this program going to air on Sunday 8th, RFA could not reach the accused Cham Prasidh’s bodyguards for comments.
However, the Chak Chrouk deputy-village chief, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he and other villagers had witnsessed Mr. Cham Prasidh's bodyguards beating Mrs. Korng Sikhem’s sons and niece at about 6PM on 04 October. “They (Cham Pasidh’s bodyguards) had beaten them and they had also fired shots. Because it was Sunday, many people, including factory workers and myself, came to watch the incident. The bodyguards were chasing the victims and yelled out: ‘Thieves, thieves!’”
Korng Sikhem said that she did not want any compensation, she only wants the authority to provide justice and only asking for hospital expenses for her sons who were seriously injured in the beatings.
Chan Soveth, an investigator for the Adhoc human rights group, said that the local authority should send this case to the higher authority so that it can be dealt with accoding to the laws. He said that the bodyguards’ action constitutes a violation of human rights and the laws, and the perpetrators, regardless of their positions, must be brought to justice.
Mrs. Korng Sikhem from Chak Chrouk village, Samrong Krom commune in Dangkor district of Phnom Penh city, has on 08 October accused a group of 6 Cham Prasidh’s bodyguards of beating up her children until one of them passed out and two others were seriously injured. However, the local authority did not act on her complaint.
Korng Sikhem claimed that 62 families in the village witnessed the beatings on the spot. She said that those villagers had put their thumbprints on a complaint which was sent to the police chief in Samrong Krom commune and the commune chief. However, the chiefs did not proceed with her complaint.
Korng Sikhem said: “There were many of them, they were all armed, they fired shots into the air, my son has collected two bullet shells. They fired shots like thunders, my son passed out on the ground, my daughter were terrified and crying and ran to hug her brother, then the villagers ran to get them out of the firing range. We lodged a complaint with the commune authority and at the police station. Everyone told me: ‘Don't try to knock an egg against the rock, we should be scared of them because we are very poor and very destitute'.”
The incident happened Sunday 04 October, when factory workers were arguing with each others near Cham Prasidh’s house which is located near Korng Sikhem’s house also. According to Ms. Korng Sikhem, her sons and her daughter, out of curiosity, went to the scene of the dispute. She said that when they returned back home, a group of [Cham Prasidh’s] bodyguards followed them and beat them up. At that time, her 30-year-old niece went to prevent the bodyguards from beating them, but they instead turned on her and beat her up also.
Touch Phoeun, the Samrong Krom commune chief and Im Kak, the Samrong Krom station police chief, declined to comment on the case because they said they are just lower-ranking officials and dare not dicuss about this case. They directed any questions regarding the case to the higher level officials.
At the time of this program going to air on Sunday 8th, RFA could not reach the accused Cham Prasidh’s bodyguards for comments.
However, the Chak Chrouk deputy-village chief, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that he and other villagers had witnsessed Mr. Cham Prasidh's bodyguards beating Mrs. Korng Sikhem’s sons and niece at about 6PM on 04 October. “They (Cham Pasidh’s bodyguards) had beaten them and they had also fired shots. Because it was Sunday, many people, including factory workers and myself, came to watch the incident. The bodyguards were chasing the victims and yelled out: ‘Thieves, thieves!’”
Korng Sikhem said that she did not want any compensation, she only wants the authority to provide justice and only asking for hospital expenses for her sons who were seriously injured in the beatings.
Chan Soveth, an investigator for the Adhoc human rights group, said that the local authority should send this case to the higher authority so that it can be dealt with accoding to the laws. He said that the bodyguards’ action constitutes a violation of human rights and the laws, and the perpetrators, regardless of their positions, must be brought to justice.
2 comments:
Ah Cham Praseth is you Hanoi,he was youn advisor from 07.01.1979 until 1990!!!
The bodyguide in dictator Hun Xen regime is the same ah hun Xen,they are very aggressors and all of them are the murder!!!!
We can say that the are all the same ah Hun Xen!!!
When powerful people committed crimes, they get away with impunity. But many innocent people got punished for nothing. This is the reality of Cambodia under Hun Sen.
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