Appeals court upholds convictions in Chea Vichea case
Wednesday, 30 May 2007 05:24
On April 12 the Cambodian Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of Born Samnang and Sok Samoeun for the 2004 murder of Free Trade Union of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) leader Chea Vichea. The FTUWKC maintains that these men are not the killers of Chea Vichea and that their detention is unjust. The union has appealed to the International Labour Organization (ILO) to establish an international committee to investigate and bring to justice the real killers of Chea Vichea, as well as those responsible for the murders of FTUWKC leaders Ros Sovannareth and Hy Vuthy.
A report from the Asian Human Rights Commission makes clear the recent appeals court proceedings - held early in the morning for just a few minutes --were flawed and highly irregular. Yash Ghai, the United Nation's special representative for human rights in Cambodia expressed "deep regret" over the court's decision, reiterating earlier calls for a thorough, impartial and credible investigation into Chea Vichea's murder and for the prosecution of those responsible. The ILO also immediately voiced concerns about the court's decision.
We hope that you will join us in continuing action to push for a just resolution to this case. Please add your name to the CCC's online petition to the Cambodian government to call for a new investigation into the murder of Chea Vichea.
