Land Representative Shot Dead in Battambang

A villager representative over land conflict was shot dead at about 8:00 pm on April 26, 2010 in a thick forest area in O’ Achoy, Chamlarng Romain Leu village, O’ Samrel commune, Samlot district, Battambang province by unidentified perpetrators.

Mr. Yin Mengly, Adhoc/CHRAC member in Battambang province reported the case that Mr. Pich Sophon, 60, was the victim in the attack. He was shot 7 bullets of AK 47. However only two of them hit him. One ran into his chest and the other in joint of his hand. The victim fell over and passed away in the event.

Mr. Mengly said that the victim lived in the area alone, whereas his family lived in Banteay Meanchey. He was the active representative in land issue. He did not have a plot of land there; but he always participated in land protests with other villagers. Recently he was chosen to record the number of families’ members in the conflict area; and he was also asked by police to be a witness in relation to an earlier attack on another representative, Sim Mey.

The source added that Mr. Sim Mey, 45, was also shot on April 4, 2010 by an unknown group of more than 2 in the same place. Mr. Sim Mey was the villager representative of 3 land conflict areas in Samlot district: 2 between 155 families in O’ Samrel commune and Mr. Pen Savoeun, a deputy chief of Regional Military No 5 and Mr. Pich Prom Mony, deputy chief of first office of Military Region 5. The other case is between the villagers and Korean company. The conflict land was about 800 hectares.

Mr. Pich Sophon was only one who saw the attack.

Related to above attack, District Military Police Commander primarily consumed that it might be related to the land dispute and it could not be a robbery case because the area was surrounded by forest. Anyways it was also a quiet place.

Mr. Menly added after the event, joint armed forces, police, military police and soldiers went to the place to investigate the case.

He said; however, he could hardly believe the authorities would be able to hunt for the perpetrators and bring to justice. He also concluded that the attacks had been made by the same group of those unidentified perpetrators related to the above land conflict.