May 5th 2012 | PHNOM PENH
The Economist
The forest witnesses an unsettling death
Chhut Vuthy, tireless campaigner
Chhut Vuthy, tireless campaigner
THE killing of Chhut Vuthy has shaken Cambodia. A well-known
environmentalist and founder of the Natural Resource Protection Group,
he had travelled to Koh Kong province in the west of the country to try
to film illegal loggers. He was in a heavily forested area near the
construction of a 338-megawatt hydropower dam being built by China
Huadian, one of China’s five biggest power generators. The project is
one of four dams which have drawn widespread criticism because of
adjacent logging, and the impact the dams could have on wildlife and the
livelihoods of local villagers.
How Mr Chhut Vuthy was killed is not clear, but the official
explanation has raised eyebrows. The Cambodian army claims that he was
taking photographs without permission. He was confronted by a military
police officer who demanded he hand over his camera. An argument
followed, says the army. Guns went off, and when the officer realised he
had killed the environmentalist, it says, he turned his AK-47 on
himself, managing to pull the trigger twice to shoot himself in the
stomach and chest.
Mr Chhut Vuthy’s family insists a third person was involved, and
after his funeral on April 28th hundreds of family, friends and
human-rights activists demanded a full inquiry along with assurances
from the government that their safety would be guaranteed.
Two journalists were with Mr Chhut Vuthy when he was killed. A
Canadian reporter and her Cambodian colleague say they did not see who
pulled the trigger after their car was confronted by a group of
soldiers. They ran into the bush and sought shelter with locals, but say
they heard one of the soldiers say loudly in Khmer, “Just kill them
both.”
Mr Chhut Vuthy’s death is the highest-profile killing in Cambodia
since a trade union leader, Chea Vichea, was shot dead in 2004. Three
women were also shot in February as they campaigned for better working
conditions at a factory supplying Puma, a German sportswear company.
All three survived, but the alleged gunman, Chhouk Bandith, a
district governor, was arrested only after local media reported that he
was being hidden by politically connected friends. He was charged with
causing “unintentional injuries”.
7 comments:
All the killers were all related to the one who has
power supported by Cpp(HunSen) from Ah jongrai
Hun To, to Ah Chhruok Bandits and Ah chkae Sokha
HunSen gaurd's dog to now Ah,Ran Boroth,the son of Cpp crooks.All of these thugs should be put to
death if found quilty of crimes.Eyes for eyes,life for
life,you take people's life you pay with your life.
Y.K pro
Why don't the girl show the real killer to the authority? The girls were there the whole time...she must know the face!!
Because they will be dead.
The 2 journalists said they didn't see who fired the shots because they were on the phone to their editor when the bullets were fired. I think they probably remember the faces of those present before the shooting, when they just don't know which one of them fire the shots.
The bottom line is I don't think the investigation committee is independent at all. I don't think they will get to the bottom of the issue, which is to find the real killers and the mastermind of the murders, which is likely to be the owner of the timber company.
Justice system in Cambodia is terrible and torn apart by corruption. In Cambodia, money talks are usual to make justice system work either in the correct direction or in the wrong direction.
Mr. Tith Sothea's presentation on Vuthy's killing was incredible. The explanation on how the ricochet shot was made and how Boroth killed Rotana become more and more suspicious.
Regime changes or re-structuring of the government, or holding those real killers accountable before the law might help restore the reputation of Cambodia.
Cpp were K.R/V.C,combines they(Cpp) has no code of honor,they were killers then , they are killers now....K.R+V.C,are barbaric psychopath killers without a doubt.
Cpp killers kill anyone whom is in their way because of V.C wanted to eliminate khmers,Cpp
turns a blind eyes to allow V.C to kill khmers anywhere at anytime.
kounkhmer
Cambodia country,running by group of corruption people, you can not stop all those terrors unless, if they killed you. . .you have to kill them back, why? Because those people they brought up from jungles, they know nothing how to respect the hummanright.
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