Two Victims Summoned for Questioning over Allegedly Attempted Killing Case

Two more people were summoned on February 23, 2010 by the Siem Reap Provincial Court for questioning as witnesses over a land conflict in Chikraeng commune, Chikraeng district, Siem Reap province of what the nine people, who have been arrested and in jail, faced a new charge of an attempted killing related to the event on March 22, 2009.

La Mao, aged 21, from Pleak village, Chikraeng commune and the other one, from Kor village, Chikraeng commune received warrants, signed by Investigating Judge Sok Leang, to clarify at the court on February 23 over a case of those above 9 people, who were accused of the intentionally attempted killing of the violence in March 2009.

According to venerable monk Luan Sovath, who also participated in the court prosecution, the summons of these two people also was so stunned that those 9 people were brought to the court at 7:30 am, but their families and lawyers were not informed. The process was pressing in secret and doubtful.

The monk added that he felt really surprised to the new charge because that day (March 22, 2009) police was shooting at villagers as they were collecting their rice product. Instead of no arrest has been made to those perpetrators, the victims were additionally charged a new criminal offense, attempted killing.

He said, however, that the villagers defended their rights by asking the judge for not answering any questions due to no lawyers to defend them.

So far those villagers have not been released yet. They were charged for rice robbery and attempted killing; whereas two people, who had been once freed, were also newly captured for illegally blocking people.