Phnom Penh, 16 March 2012 — Although former Bavet City Governor Chhuk Bundith confessed that he was the gunman who shot three female workers on 20 February during a protest at Svay Rieng Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Provincial Prosecutor Hing Bunchea allowed him to go free after questioning yesterday. Given the seriousness of the crime and the risks of interference with the victims and witnesses, Cambodian authorities must immediately arrest Chhuk Bundith and place him in detention while investigating the case.
On 20 February, thousands of workers from three different factories (Kaoway, Sheico and Kingmaker) gathered to demand higher wages and respect for their labor rights. As company representatives refused to engage in dialogue, the demonstration turned into a riot. Both protesters and the police threw stones at each other. According to witnesses, at around 2:00pm, in front of Kaoway factory, Bavet Governor Chhuk Bundith took out his gun and shot at demonstrators. Keo Ny (18), Nuth Sokhorn (23) and Boun Chenda (21) were wounded, the latter seriously.
On 6 March, due to his role in the shooting, Chhuk Bundith was sacked as Bavet City Governor. The following day, victims declared to the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) that they had been approached by officials, including the police chief, commune chiefs, and Chhuk Bundith himself. They refused the money they were offered (1,000 US dollars or a new motorbike) not to testify against Chhuk Bundith. On 13 March, two of them filed a complaint against the latter. They still suffer from wounds; two of them will be unable to resume work for several months.
According to information gathered by ADHOC Monitor Prak Saran, Svay Rieng Prosecutor Hing Bunchea provided three reasons for allowing Chhuk Bundith to go free: the suspect’s fame, which allegedly makes it impossible for him to escape; the unlikelihood of any threats being made to the victims; and the suspect’s good faith—he purportedly showed up every time he was summoned (that is, once).
In a country where pre-trial detention is widely used, even for minor offenses which do not involve violence, the authorities’ unwillingness to arrest the sole suspect of a shooting is an indication of the level of impunity and disregard for the rule of law.
To uphold the victims’ rights and address concerns of the country’s international partners—including buyers of its garment industry—, Cambodian authorities must immediately arrest Chhuk Bundith. Moreover, according to witnesses, on 20 February the police gave Chhuk Bundith a safe-conduct to his car, allowing him to escape. Cambodian authorities are under obligation to investigate these allegations and more generally the circumstances of the shooting. Chhuk Bundith must be held to account, regardless of his rank, social standing, or political affiliation.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Ny Chakrya, Head of Monitoring Section at ADHOC: 011 274 959
Mr. Chan Soveth, Deputy Head of Monitoring Section: 016 937 591
Mr. Nicolas Agostini, Technical Assistant: 078 405 024
