February 1: A 23-year-old unidentified man was found dead in a rubber field

in Lavea village, Chamkar Loeu district, Kampong Cham. A villager told police that

the body was dropped there by some people who escaped in a Toyota Camry. After inspection,

police said the victim was possibly murdered four days earlier by his friends, who

stole his car.

February 1: Chuos Somnang, 38, was shot and wounded at 5:35 pm while riding

a motorbike on National Road 5 about 5km from the provincial capital of Banteay Meanchey.

Police said the victim, who is an official from the provincial Information Department,

was hit twice by three unknown men armed with a K-59 handgun. Revenge was suspected

as his bike was

not stolen.

February 1: Laut Sarath, 45, had her face burned off with acid in Chatto Teus

village, Ponhea Loeu district, Kandal. The victim's face was destroyed by her husband,

Prak Chhin, 47, who justified his actions on the basis that she had refused to give

him 500riel for cigarettes, and had intervened while he was beating their son.

February 1: Doeu Nguon, 23, and his wife, Un Sal, 20, were found dead in a

rice field in Svay Masao village, Barai district, Kampong Thom. A neighbor told police

that the victims were captured and brought 500 meters from their cottage and shot

several times with an AK-47 by three unknown men wearing military uniforms. Police

said revenge was suspected as the motive for the killing as the victims were poor.

February 2: Chim Sorida, 25, was found hanging at 5 am from the entrance of

his house in Prek Talong village, Mean Chey district, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.

Police said the victim, a construction worker, possibly killed himself as he had

tried to develop a relationship with a girl but his advances were rebuffed.

February 2: Helen Maria, 28, a Canadian, was robbed of $2,000 at 5:30 am on

Russian Federation Blvd in Teuk Thla precinct, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Police

said the victim was threatened with a steel bar by a taxi-driver while going to Pochentong

International Airport.

February 2: In Sarith, 44, was found hanging from a tree behind his house

in Mondul 3 village, Siem Reap. His second wife, Ly Pha, told police that her husband

hanged himself with a krama, but after inspection, police said the victim was possibly

killed with a nylon line. Pha, who is a Thai language teacher, was arrested because

she argued with her husband before she left for teaching.

February 3: So Vannay, 42, a major from the Royal Armed Forces, died at Calmette

Hospital after he was shot and wounded at 8:05 pm while walking to his car on 586

Street in Boeng Kak 1 precinct, Phnom Penh. Police said the victim was hit once in

the right cheek with a handgun by two unknown men on a motorbike. Police said revenge

was suspected.

February 4: Four people died instantly and one baby was injured after a H107

artillery shell exploded at 7:20 am in Chhiem Prous village, Veal Veng district,

Pursat. Police said the shell went off after Sim Bo hammered the head of the shell

in order to catch fish. Bo, a soldier from Brigade 71, disintegrated.

February 5: Tieng Dy, 32, a body-guard of an owner of the New Textile Garment

factory, was shot and wounded in a robbery at 9:45 am while he was traveling in a

Lexus on Russian Federation Blvd in Teuk Laak 1 precinct, Phnom Penh. Police said

the victim was hit in the chest with a silenced K-54 handgun by two robbers who attempted

to steal $200,000 just withdrawn from Maybank. Long Manith and Sam Son were arrested.

February 5: Vurn Voeun, 25, a construction worker, was sent to Calmette hospital

after he was beaten and injured at 6 am while sleeping on a bench in front of Langkar

pagoda in Boeng Keng Kang 1 precinct, Phnom Penh. Police said the victim was hit

three times on the face with a hoe by his friend in revenge for being knocked down

in a gambling quarrel a few days earlier.

February 5: An American citizen, Beunet Steinmuller, 33, was shot with a K-59

handgun and wounded while riding on a moto-taxi at midnight in Tonle Bassac precinct,

Phnom Penh. The victim was hit in the kidneys by two robbers who attempted to steal

$30 in his bag. Leng Pha, 22, a moto driver, was arrested as he tried to escape º

after authorities arrived, but was released two days later.

February 6: Five people were injured after a grenade exploded in a drinking

quarrel at a wine shop in Prey Tear village, Dangkor district. Police said the grenade

was thrown by Soam Sam, 24, who was angry after his friends tried to wake him up

to drink wine after he was already very drunk. Sam, a former KR soldier from Kampong

Thom province, was severely injured.

February 6: Poeu Thy, 31, and Tidh, 20, were freed at midnight after their

families paid R1.8 million to kidnappers in Kampong Ampil village, Barai district,

Kampong Thom. Police said the victims were captured and brought into a forest while

they were on a boat fishing in Chinith tributary by three unknown men armed with

AK-47s who demanded a R2 million ransom.

February 7: Ny Siha, 19, was found floating in the Tonle Bassac in the morning

after he drowned two days earlier in Chroy Changva bridge precinct, Russei Keo district,

Phnom Penh. His mother told police that Siha, a student from Preah Sisowath high

school, jumped from the Japanese bridge as he was angry after he was criticized by

his parents for wasting their money.

February 7: Tuy Pros, 23, was sent to Calmette hospital after he was shot

and wounded at 10:55 pm in Wat Phnom precinct, Phnom Penh. An eyewitness said that

Pros was hit with a bullet from a K-59 handgun by two unknown men on a motorbike

after he and his six other friends knocked down a cylo driver after he had criticized

them as drunkards while they were drinking wine on a street.

February 9: Noeu Veasna, 43, was found hanging from the wall of a neighbor's

house at 5 am in Toul Sangke village, Russei Keo district, Phnom Penh. His wife,

Kim Hoeun reported to police that her husband hanged himself after testing HIV positive.

February 9: Three people were shot and wounded in Kralek Koeut village, Chamcar

Loeu district, Kampong Cham. Police said the victims, Chorn Theary, Lor Sambo, Touch

Yom, were shot with an AK-47 by five offenders who demanded $10,000 ransom. The kidnappers

were angry as one of the victims brought police to arrest them.

February 9: A 44-year-old man was arrested for an alleged rape in Prek Toal

village, Mean Chey district, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Police said the arrest

came after his 18-year-old step-daughter complained to the court that she had been

raped by the suspect since she was 10-years-old, having previously kept silent for

after being threatened with a knife.