DECEMBER 5: Hun Khis, 22, was found dead at 6:30 am at a pond in Sdoeung Chey

village, Kampong Cham province. Police said Khis was murdered with a knife and his

body dropped there while returning home from to see a dance the previous night. The

reason for the motive was not known.

DECEMBER 5: A couple, Phan Sophal, 37, and Ly Rany, 32, died at the provincial

hospital after they were burned in a fire in Rasmey village, Kampong Speu province.

Police said the fire occurred after five pigs ran into the kitchen and knocked over

a 30-liter petrol container while his wife was cooking for lunch. Police said three

children of the couple were not home during the fire.

DECEMBER 5: Chhun Kim, 75, was knifed to death in Sramor village, Takeo province.

Police said the elderly woman was chopped eleven times by a grand son, Sim Sokhom,

17, who is disabled and was arrested on the scene. Sokhom became angry after his

grandmother screamed at him and called him 'the blind person' while trying to stop

an argument between she and his mother.

DECEMBER 7: Two people died and three others were sent to Calmette Hospital

after a terrible accident at 4 am on Road 6A in Khnor village, Phnom Penh. Police

said a truck, loaded with firewood, hit a tree on the path while driving from Kampong

Cham to Phnom Penh. Police said the driver, Mol Yom, 29, and his staff, Sal, 18,

died on the scene after losing control.

DECEMBER 7: Lim Keothy, 43, a gold vendor, was robbed at 5:10 pm while working

at his shop in Svay Por village, Battambang province. Keothy told police four gunmen

who wore civilian uniforms entered his shop and shot once into his bedroom, then

they picked up a jewelry bag worth more than $40,000 in cash. The robbers escaped

on their two motorbikes.

DECEMBER 7: Arth Vissa, 23, a garbage collector, was knifed and severely injured

while asleep under a tree in front of the railway station in Phnom Penh. Meas Saran,

20, told police a man, who was identified as Ron, chopped her husband in the right

shoulder and stabbed him twice in the stomach then escaped on foot. Saran said Ron

was angry as her husband recently told police that he had threatened money from another

garbage collector.

DECEMBER 8: Vong Chausem, 50, the owner of the In Tech Shoe factory, was shot

dead in a robbery at 10:30 am while driving a car on Russian Federation Boulevard

in Teuk Laak 1 commune, Phnom Penh. A witness told police six gunmen blocked the

path of Vong and shot him twice in the chest with an AK-47 then they escaped on three

motorbikes after stealing $50,000 of payroll taken from the First Commercial Bank.

However, police arrested five suspects, confiscated four handguns and took back $20,000.

DECEMBER 8: Police arrested Nhep Chantha, 24, after he was accused of a murder

in Khbal Spean village, Banteay Meanchey province. Police said Chantha killed his

wife, Yart Chetra, 21, but he later told police someone murdered her while he was

not at home. However, after investigation, police said Chantha knocked his wife down

then strangled her during an argument.

DECEMBER 8: Two woman died and another was severely injured after their motorbike

crashed into a truck on National Road 6 in Trapaing Veng village, Kampong Thom province.

Police said Sok Na, 25, died instantly, and Chhun Ny, 19, died at a hospital. The

truck overturned about 10 meters from the scene because the driver, Dy Khia, 18,

lost control after the accident.

DECEMBER 9: Khlaing Nuoch, 42, a car driver, was sent to Calmette Hospital

for treatment after massive head injuries during an accident in Siem Reap province.

Police said the car overturned while Nuoch was teaching a neighbour Vuth to drive.

Vuth promises to pay for medical treatment.

DECEMBER 9: Police arrested Phay Thoeun, 35, after he was accused of rape

in Choeung Chap village, Mangkol Borey district, Banteay Meanchey. Police said Thoeun

raped his 10-year-old step-daughter when her mother was staying in Thailand where

she works everyday. The girl told police that she had been raped four times since

November this year.

DECEMBER 10: Chao Makthoeung, 22, a mechanic at Heng Heng garage, was arrested

for rape committed three days ago at a guest-house in Boeung Trabek commune, Phnom

Penh. A 16-year-old girl complained to police that Makthoeung persuaded her to the

guest-house and raped her twice. However, Makthoeung denied the charge, saying she

agreed to have sex together.

DECEMBER 10: An ambulance took Bun Chhoeun, 35, to Calmette Hospital after

suddenly losing consciousness at 7 pm in front of Bottum Waddey pagoda in Phnom Penh.

Chhoeun, a motodop driver from Tasous village in Svay Reang province, told a newspaper

that he had been drugged with sleeping pills after he drank four cans of beer given

by his passenger who stole his bike.

DECEMBER 10: Yin Sansy, 37, was shot dead at 8:30 pm in Ta Chart village,

Koh Kong province. Police said revenge was the

motive as Sansy had recently argued with his neighbor, Ouk Sophal, 43, who threatened

to kill him during the argument over land issues. However, police arrested Sophal

and Sok Chamroeun for questioning. Sansy was shot three times in the head, the waist

and the shoulder.

DECEMBER 10: Long Han, 24, was arrested for a robbery and a murder he committed

a week ago in Bangkorng village, Prasard Bakong district, Siem Reap. Police said

Han confessed he really killed a neighbor woman, Meach Phing, 44, for stealing a

motorbike belonging to him. Han told police Phing died from poisoning after she drank

a bottle of water while he was giving her a ride.

DECEMBER 11: Police arrested Theun Thoeun, 23, after he was accused of rape

the previous night in Prek Ampil village, Kandal province. A 27-year-old woman, who

is married with three children, complained to police that she let Thoeun go ahead

with sex because she thought the man was her husband.

DECEMBER 11: Long Huol, 23, died instantly from massive head injuries during

an accident at around 9 pm while riding a motorbike on Kampuchea Krom Boulevard in

Teuk Laak 1 commune, Phnom Penh. Police said the bike crashed into a motor remorke

after trying to overtake a bus.

DECEMBER 11: Veng Sreykia, 30, was found dead at her aunt's house in Ta Chan

village, Kean Svay district, Kandal. Prak Sovan told police his wife was murdered

with a knife while making cake for sale at Prek Eng Primary School. Police said robbery

was the motive as 3.5 chi of her gold necklace had been stolen. Sreykia was chopped

once in the head and her throat cut.

DECEMBER 12: Thoeun Sora, 16, was arrested for a rape he allegedly committed

the previous day in Kaun Thnoat village, Kampong Svay district, Kampong Thom. Police

said Sora tried to escape after raping a 6-year-old girl. The girl's parents filed

a complaint to the police and demanded five million riels in damages.

- Translated from Khmer newspapers Koh Santepheap and Rasmei Kampuchea by Aun

Pheap