PRESS RELEASE – Phnom Penh, 29 January 2013
CCHR and CASC welcome the verdict of the first
trial under the Acid Law
The Cambodian
Center for Human Rights (“CCHR”) and the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity (“CASC”)
welcome the verdict in the country’s first trial using the Law on the Regulation of Concentrate Acid (the
“Acid Law”). Be Soeun, who had been charged with
intentional violence under Article 20 of the Acid Law, was convicted on 28
January 2013 by the Phnom Penh Municipal to five years in prison – the maximum
sentence under Article 20 – and fined $2,500 USD (10,000,000 Riel) for
attacking his ex-wife with acid.
According to statistics compiled by CCHR and CASC, there
were seven cases of acid attacks in Cambodia in 2012 alone, three of which led
to fatalities. However, although the Acid Law was passed in December 2011, this
is the first time that a court has used the Acid Law to prosecute a case of
acid violence. Moreover, the Royal Government of Cambodia (the “RGC”) has yet
to issue a Sub-Decree, which, according to Article 7 of the Acid Law, will set
out licensing requirements and conditions for selling, buying, storing,
distributing, transporting and using concentrated acid. The adoption of this
Sub-Decree must take place in order to ensure that the Acid Law is effective.
Ms. Ramana Sorn, Coordinator of CCHR’s Ending Acid
Violence Project comments:
“This verdict is a welcome step in the right direction.
However, I would also like to see the other acid attack cases being brought to
court; effectively implementation of the law would contribute significantly
towards the elimination of acid violence in Cambodia. I would also like to
remind the RGC to push forward with the drafting process of the Sub-Decree and to
push for its adoption so that preventive measures are put in place.”
Ziad Samman, Project Manager of the CASC comments:
“This case was the first real test of the legislation.
We hope that this verdict is an indication of things to come in the future;
that cases relating to acid violence do in fact go to trial, and perpetrators
are held accountable for their actions in accordance with the law. I think it is
important to acknowledge and commend the government for all of their efforts
towards addressing the phenomena of acid violence; however it is also important
to recognise that this is just the first step of many. In order to adequately
address the phenomena of acid violence in Cambodia it will require the full
implementation of the law on all accounts. Without the Sub-Decree in place this
will remain an enormous and ongoing challenge.”
For more information, please contact Sorn Ramana via
telephone at +855 (0) 17 65 55 91 or e-mail at ramanasorn@cchrcambodia.org or Ziad Samman via
telephone at +855 (0) 77 73 89 21 or
e-mail at info@thecasc.org.
Please also find the Press Release attached in PDF format in both Khmer and English.
Kind Regards,
CCHR
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