Phnom Penh Post
By May Titthara
Chut Wutty, an environmental activist who was gunned
down a year ago while investigating illegal logging in Koh Kong
province, stands in front of his SUV on a forest road in 2011. Photo by
AFP
A year after his death, there will be little fanfare at the memorial service today for slain anti-logging activist Chut Wutty.
Hundreds of people travelled from across the country for his funeral after he was gunned down on April 26, 2012, while investigating illegal logging in Koh Kong province’s Mondul Seima district.
His son, Chhey Odom Reaksmey, then a timid and shocked young man, said yesterday he expected just a handful of NGO workers and a monk to join his family today as they return to the small clearing where Wutty fell.
But he is determined that his father’s legacy of fighting deforestation will live on.
“I want to know after my father’s death how different it is. Because in other provinces there has been serious logging after my father passed away,” he told the Post yesterday.
“I will continue doing my father’s job because I love the forest as he did. But I need support, because I am young.”
The 20-year-old has big shoes to fill if he takes up his father’s cause.
Wutty travelled the country end-to-end, embarking on journeys that pushed him to the edge of physical exhaustion as he waged a protracted and dogged battle to expose corruption and the rapacious destruction of Cambodia’s forests.
His efforts frequently landed him in acrimonious standoffs with local officials, businessmen and soldiers, confrontations from which he refused to shy away as he taught villagers their rights, burned illegally logged trees and demanded answers from the rich and powerful.
One year ago today, while investigating the company Timbergreen, one such standoff with a group of soldiers and military police officers ignited into a fierce dispute. Wutty and military police officer In Rattana were shot dead in murky circumstances that monitors say have never been properly investigated.
Government and military police probes into his murder were riddled with contradictory explanations. When a case finally came to trial, the provincial court failed to call key witnesses and said they already had settled who killed him.
Instead, the case focused on the unintentional murder of In Rattana, Wutty’s supposed killer.
Ran Borath, a security guard determined to have shot Rattana during a struggle for the latter’s gun, was freed less than two weeks after the verdict.
“It is very unfair for my family, because the real killer has not been found and the court has not taken my father’s case, and they fingered a military police [officer] that died with my father, so the complaint is also finished,” Reaksmey said.
Calling the investigation incomplete, Reaksmey vowed to continue his own and pledged to take the reins of his late father’s organisation, the Natural Resource Protection Group.
Chhim Savuth, public forum project co-ordinator for the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said the government wasn’t interested in hearing any new evidence in the case.
“I think Chut Wutty’s family has no hope to get justice,” he said.
As for Wutty’s battle against deforestation, Savuth feels the future is now bleak.
“Forest logging today – they have set up a system for destruction. In not much time, we will no longer have any luxury wood, just rubber trees.”
Hundreds of people travelled from across the country for his funeral after he was gunned down on April 26, 2012, while investigating illegal logging in Koh Kong province’s Mondul Seima district.
His son, Chhey Odom Reaksmey, then a timid and shocked young man, said yesterday he expected just a handful of NGO workers and a monk to join his family today as they return to the small clearing where Wutty fell.
But he is determined that his father’s legacy of fighting deforestation will live on.
“I want to know after my father’s death how different it is. Because in other provinces there has been serious logging after my father passed away,” he told the Post yesterday.
“I will continue doing my father’s job because I love the forest as he did. But I need support, because I am young.”
The 20-year-old has big shoes to fill if he takes up his father’s cause.
Wutty travelled the country end-to-end, embarking on journeys that pushed him to the edge of physical exhaustion as he waged a protracted and dogged battle to expose corruption and the rapacious destruction of Cambodia’s forests.
His efforts frequently landed him in acrimonious standoffs with local officials, businessmen and soldiers, confrontations from which he refused to shy away as he taught villagers their rights, burned illegally logged trees and demanded answers from the rich and powerful.
One year ago today, while investigating the company Timbergreen, one such standoff with a group of soldiers and military police officers ignited into a fierce dispute. Wutty and military police officer In Rattana were shot dead in murky circumstances that monitors say have never been properly investigated.
Government and military police probes into his murder were riddled with contradictory explanations. When a case finally came to trial, the provincial court failed to call key witnesses and said they already had settled who killed him.
Instead, the case focused on the unintentional murder of In Rattana, Wutty’s supposed killer.
Ran Borath, a security guard determined to have shot Rattana during a struggle for the latter’s gun, was freed less than two weeks after the verdict.
“It is very unfair for my family, because the real killer has not been found and the court has not taken my father’s case, and they fingered a military police [officer] that died with my father, so the complaint is also finished,” Reaksmey said.
Calling the investigation incomplete, Reaksmey vowed to continue his own and pledged to take the reins of his late father’s organisation, the Natural Resource Protection Group.
Chhim Savuth, public forum project co-ordinator for the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said the government wasn’t interested in hearing any new evidence in the case.
“I think Chut Wutty’s family has no hope to get justice,” he said.
As for Wutty’s battle against deforestation, Savuth feels the future is now bleak.
“Forest logging today – they have set up a system for destruction. In not much time, we will no longer have any luxury wood, just rubber trees.”
ដោយ យន់ សាមៀន
2013-04-25
2013-04-25
លោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី ត្រូវប៉េអឹមបាញ់សម្លាប់ក្នុងរថយន្ត នៅខេត្តកោះកុង កាលពីថ្ងៃទី ២៦ មេសា ឆ្នាំ ២០១២។
Provided photo
ទស្សនាវីដេអូអំពីសកម្មភាពលោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី
ក្រុមគ្រួសារសកម្មជនការពារព្រៃឈើ លោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី ដែលត្រូវបានឆ្មាំក្រុមហ៊ុនសម្បទានព្រៃឈើបាញ់សម្លាប់ នៅពេលលោកកំពុងស៊ើបអង្កេតការកាប់ឈើខុសច្បាប់នៅខេត្តកោះកុង កាលពីថ្ងៃទី២៦ ខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០១២ បានទាមទារឲ្យរដ្ឋាភិបាលបន្តស្វែងរកឃាតកពិតមកផ្ដន្ទាទោសតាមផ្លូវ ច្បាប់។
ការអំពាវនាវនេះ ធ្វើឡើងនៅពេលដែលក្រុមគ្រួសារលោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី គ្រោងរៀបចំពិធីបុណ្យខួបមួយឆ្នាំនៃការស្លាប់របស់លោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី។ លោក ឆើយ ឧត្តមរស្មី កូនប្រុសសកម្មជនដីធ្លីលោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី មានប្រសាសន៍ថា តុលាការនៅមិនទាន់ផ្តល់យុត្តិធម៌ឲ្យក្រុមគ្រួសាររបស់លោកនៅឡើយ ទេ៖ «បាទ! វាដូចជាអត់មានភាពយុត្តិធម៌សោះ ព្រោះឥឡូវហ្នឹង ឃាតកហ្នឹងមិនដឹងជាត្រូវជានរណាគេ អីចឹងខ្ញុំចង់សំណូមពរទៅខាងរដ្ឋាភិបាលហ្នឹងបើកសំណុំរឿងហ្នឹង សាឡើងវិញអីចឹងណាស់ ធ្វើអីចឹងអត់កើតទេ ព្រោះថាក្នុងនាមគាត់ជាសកម្មជនការពារព្រៃឈើមួយស្លាប់គ្មានន័យ គ្មានអីចឹង»។
លោកបន្តថា បុណ្យខួប ១ឆ្នាំនោះ នឹងធ្វើឡើងនៅទីកន្លែងដែលលោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី ត្រូវបានបាញ់សម្លាប់។ លោក ឆើយ ឧត្តមរស្មី បន្តថា បច្ចុប្បន្នលោកបានក្លាយជាប្រធានអង្គការការពារធនធានធម្មជាតិ ដើម្បីបន្តការងាររបស់ឪពុកលោក។ ប៉ុន្តែលោកកំពុងជួបប្រទះបញ្ហាថវិកាសម្រាប់ដំណើរការអង្គការនេះ។ លោកសំណូមពរឲ្យសហគមន៍ជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិ ផ្តល់ថវិកាជួយដល់អង្គការរបស់លោក ដើម្បីជួយទប់ស្កាត់ការកាប់បំផ្លាញព្រៃឈើនៅកម្ពុជា៕
កំណត់ចំណាំចំពោះអ្នកបញ្ចូលមតិនៅក្នុងអត្ថបទនេះ៖ ដើម្បីរក្សាសេចក្ដីថ្លៃថ្នូរ យើងខ្ញុំនឹងផ្សាយតែមតិណា ដែលមិនជេរប្រមាថដល់អ្នកដទៃប៉ុណ្ណោះ។
ក្រុមគ្រួសារសកម្មជនការពារព្រៃឈើ លោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី ដែលត្រូវបានឆ្មាំក្រុមហ៊ុនសម្បទានព្រៃឈើបាញ់សម្លាប់ នៅពេលលោកកំពុងស៊ើបអង្កេតការកាប់ឈើខុសច្បាប់នៅខេត្តកោះកុង កាលពីថ្ងៃទី២៦ ខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០១២ បានទាមទារឲ្យរដ្ឋាភិបាលបន្តស្វែងរកឃាតកពិតមកផ្ដន្ទាទោសតាមផ្លូវ ច្បាប់។
ការអំពាវនាវនេះ ធ្វើឡើងនៅពេលដែលក្រុមគ្រួសារលោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី គ្រោងរៀបចំពិធីបុណ្យខួបមួយឆ្នាំនៃការស្លាប់របស់លោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី។ លោក ឆើយ ឧត្តមរស្មី កូនប្រុសសកម្មជនដីធ្លីលោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី មានប្រសាសន៍ថា តុលាការនៅមិនទាន់ផ្តល់យុត្តិធម៌ឲ្យក្រុមគ្រួសាររបស់លោកនៅឡើយ ទេ៖ «បាទ! វាដូចជាអត់មានភាពយុត្តិធម៌សោះ ព្រោះឥឡូវហ្នឹង ឃាតកហ្នឹងមិនដឹងជាត្រូវជានរណាគេ អីចឹងខ្ញុំចង់សំណូមពរទៅខាងរដ្ឋាភិបាលហ្នឹងបើកសំណុំរឿងហ្នឹង សាឡើងវិញអីចឹងណាស់ ធ្វើអីចឹងអត់កើតទេ ព្រោះថាក្នុងនាមគាត់ជាសកម្មជនការពារព្រៃឈើមួយស្លាប់គ្មានន័យ គ្មានអីចឹង»។
លោកបន្តថា បុណ្យខួប ១ឆ្នាំនោះ នឹងធ្វើឡើងនៅទីកន្លែងដែលលោក ឈុត វុទ្ធី ត្រូវបានបាញ់សម្លាប់។ លោក ឆើយ ឧត្តមរស្មី បន្តថា បច្ចុប្បន្នលោកបានក្លាយជាប្រធានអង្គការការពារធនធានធម្មជាតិ ដើម្បីបន្តការងាររបស់ឪពុកលោក។ ប៉ុន្តែលោកកំពុងជួបប្រទះបញ្ហាថវិកាសម្រាប់ដំណើរការអង្គការនេះ។ លោកសំណូមពរឲ្យសហគមន៍ជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិ ផ្តល់ថវិកាជួយដល់អង្គការរបស់លោក ដើម្បីជួយទប់ស្កាត់ការកាប់បំផ្លាញព្រៃឈើនៅកម្ពុជា៕
កំណត់ចំណាំចំពោះអ្នកបញ្ចូលមតិនៅក្នុងអត្ថបទនេះ៖ ដើម្បីរក្សាសេចក្ដីថ្លៃថ្នូរ យើងខ្ញុំនឹងផ្សាយតែមតិណា ដែលមិនជេរប្រមាថដល់អ្នកដទៃប៉ុណ្ណោះ។
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