ACTION: Justice Still Needed in Chea Vichea Murder Case
Wednesday, 28 February 2007 15:30
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On the third anniversary of the murder of 36-year-old Chea Vichea, the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) has renewed its calls for the release of two men they say were falsely convicted of the killing and have urged the government to launch a new, unbiased investigation into the events of that day.
On January 22, 2004 Chea Vichea, the president of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), was shot dead while reading a newspaper at a roadside newsstand in Phnom Penh. Two men were arrested days after the shooting and later were sentenced to 20 years in prison for carrying out the killing. However the investigation and trial have been denounced as seriously flawed.
Labour Behind the Label is joining the FTUWKC, Amnesty International, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Human Rights Watch in calling for the release of the two men and a new investigation to bring the real killers to justice. Add your voice to these calls for justice - demand the arrest and conviction of Chea Vichea's real killers and support respect for trade union rights in Cambodia.
At the time of his death, Chea Vichea, 36 years old, was a well-known and respected trade union leader who pushed for better working conditions for Cambodian garment workers, including payment of a living wage. He was murdered in January 2004 by an unmasked killer who according to witnesses fled the scene on a motorbike driven by an accomplice. Prior to his death, Chea Vichea had received death threats and had sought police protection. At the time, the police denied him protection and instead suggested that he leave the country because a high-ranking government official wanted him killed. A thorough investigation into the murder of Chea Vichea must determine not only who killed the rights defender, but also who commissioned the killing.
Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun were arrested for the murder on the 27th and 28th January 2004 and protested their innocence from the beginning. Both had credible alibis for the time of the shooting and no witness have been found that place them at the scene of the crime. The court found them guilty on the basis of a confession made by Born Samnang, which he claims was made under duress. Both the criminal investigation and the court hearings were denounced by the then Special Representative of the United Nations' Secretary General for Human Rights in Cambodia, Peter Leuprecht, as lacking any credibility.
Background information compiled from AI, ICFTU, and FTUWKC reports
