Indicators Of Government Involvement In A Series of Assassinations

Morton Sklar
Legal Counsel, Commission of Inquiry

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INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION ON THE SERIES OF ASSASSINATIONS AND EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS WITH STRONG INDICATORS OF THE HUN SEN’S GOVERNMENTS INVOLVEMENT

For the past several months, the Commission of Inquiry for Cambodia, with the help of a number of law students at Columbia University Law School, has been conducting our own independent investigation into a series of assassinations and extra-judicial killings of political opposition leaders, labor leaders and critics of government policies, and we have found a number of strong indicators of the government’s direct responsibility for, and role in these politically motivated killings. Here are some highlights of the findings from our investigative efforts to the UN Human Rights Committee regarding the series of political assassinations and to show the government’s involvement and political motivation that have taken place in Cambodia.

These indicators include:

1. A French Criminal Court decision issued two weeks ago finding sufficient grounds for believing that high level officials of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s own personal Bodyguard Unit, which operates under the direct control and orders of Hun Sen himself, played a major role in planning and carrying out a 1997 grenade attack on participants at an opposition political rally that killed 16 attendees and wounded 125 others.

2. A report filed with the US Congress by a team of US Federal Bureau of Investigation on-site investigators, that found that members of Hun Sen’s Personal Bodyguard Unit knew of the 1997 Grenade Attack plans in advance, helped the grenade throwers gain access to the political rally site, and facilitated in their escape, even providing them with temporary housing at their military barracks.

3. The fact that the government failed or refused to conduct effective investigations of the assassinations, presumably to avoid finding evidence that implicated the government in the attacks.

4. The fact that the government accused “scapegoat” suspects for several of the assassinations who later were found innocent, in order to cover up and protect the real culprits.

5. Members of Hun Sen’s Bodyguard Unit admitted in court to the brutal beatings of opposition members of Parliament Kong Sophea and Nhay Chamroeun, but were given only slap on the wrist punishments, and later “rewarded” for their actions with promotions in military rank.

6. One of the assassinations (environmentalist and anti-logging activist Chut Wutty) took place while he was in custody of the military police.

7. All the assassinations and beatings took place immediately after the victims had taken actions critical of government policies. For example, Kem Ley was killed after his broadcasts bringing public attention to a Global Witness report (“Hostile Takeover”) showing how Hun Sen family members obtained economic gains from government seizure of lands and other economic assets. Sin Kohn, the latest assassination that took place just weeks ago, was a youth leader who is described as “an outspoken youth activist” who had been attacked once before to obtain his silence.

8. Amnesty International carried out a stop-action “forensic” analysis of video tape obtained in the Kem Ley assassination case, that showed evidence of police vehicles aiding in the escape attempt, and providing the alleged killer with a ride away from the scene of the attack.