MARCH 11: A suspected robber, Vong Rin, 22, was shot dead and his four accomplices

escaped after they attempted a robbery at 10:30 p.m. in Teuk Laak 1 commune, Phnom

Penh. Police said the suspects tried to fire over authority to evade arrest after

they were ordered to stop while preparing to commit a robbery. Police confiscated

two K-59 handguns from the dead body.

MARCH 12: A Vietnamese national, Nguyen Maiy, 21, was sent to Calmette Hospital

after being shot in a robbery at midnight while fishing in the Mekong River in Koh

Dach commune, Kandal province. His father, Nguyen Ngok Yn, 48, told police three

gunmen boarded his boat and aimed a long gun at him, before handcuffing his arms.

Yn said one of the robbers shot his son four times as he tried to help him. They

escaped on their boat after stealing his watch and fishing equipment.

MARCH 12: Mok Ra, 34, was beaten to death as he tried to escape after he and

two accomplices stole a motorbike at 5:25 p.m. in Prey Pring village, Dangkor district,

Phnom Penh. A mob stopped Ra as he fled, then they killed him while bringing police

to find the two accomplices who hid at a guesthouse in Trapaing Ropeak village after

the theft.

MARCH 12: A 22-year-old woman, Boeun Tony, was found dead at a forest near

Yeay Teav lake where she collected shellfish every morning in Prasad village, Kandal

province. Police said Tony had her neck cut with a sickle by an unidentified man

who stole a five hun gold ring valued at $17.

MARCH 13: Krouch Rean, 34, was arrested after he killed So Heak, 35, in Trapaing

Tim village, Kampong Thom province. Police said Heak was axed in the chest after

he joked that, "I have five frogs, so I will probably kill one for eating tonight."

Police said Rean probably has a mental problem as he mistakenly thought that Heak

had compared him and four members of his family to the frogs.

MARCH 14: Police are looking for three gunmen who escaped after kidnapping

a watermelon farmer the previous day in Prey Dom village, Kampong Thom province.

Phin Yin, 50, told police the kidnappers aimed an AK-47 at him, then tied up his

arms and ordered him to pay one million riel. Yin said after negotiation, he offered

a 800,000 riel ransom.

MARCH 14: Seng Baraing, 22, was taken by police to a district hospital for

treatment after he argued with a group of gangsters at 7:30 p.m. at a karaoke shop

in Kraing Yau village, Kandal province. Police said Noeu Kheang, 25, and three accomplices,

created a problem and struck Baraing four times with a sword while Baraing was singing

a song with two friends at the shop. Kheang was arrested and three other assailants

escaped.

MARCH 15: Police arrested a 12-year-old boy after a provincial prosecutor

accused him of rape in Chhoeu Khmao village, Koh Thom district, Kandal province.

Police said the boy confessed that he raped a 6-year-old girl while playing with

her four days earlier at his house. But he later withdrew his confession.

MARCH 16: Kun Eng, 40, was taken by his family to Calmette Hospital after

being severely injured in a revenge attack at around 8 p.m. in Sau Tech village,

Kampong Cham province. A witness told police that Eng was struck twice in the head

with a heavy knife and an ax by his two nephews, Song Keo, 22, and Song Kith, 20,

who then escaped after the assault.

MARCH 17: The body of Malaysian national Jang He Kon, 48, was found in the

early morning on a footpath of National Road 2 in Chey Chumnas village, Kandal province.

Police said the man was the owner of Giant Power wine and was dropped there after

being murdered with a K-59 handgun elsewhere. His family said robbery was the motive,

as his Camry car and wallet had been stolen. A villager said a car parked at the

scene the previous night was likely to be involved with the murder.

MARCH 17: A couple, Chun Pisith, 26, and San Sreyarth, 25, were arrested while

trying to shoot at police after committing a robbery at 6:45 p.m. in Tonle Bassac

commune, Phnom Penh. Police said they shot several times to evade arrest after stealing

a motorbike from Kruy Rithy, 21. Police said a bystander, Lai Kimsoun, 24, a garment

worker, was shot and severely wounded while staying at home during the attack. She

later died at Calmette Hospital. Choun Thy, 39, a policeman, was also shot twice

and severely wounded.

MARCH 19: Pauch Bun, 26, was arrested after confessing to police that he committed

a murder in Tumnop Rolak precinct, Sihanoukville. Police said Bun killed a neighbor,

Soeun, 30, who he had argued with the previous night. Bun came to see police inspecting

the body and, pointing to the corpse, screamed, "That is the guy who hit me

last night, now, I reacted and beat him to death to relax [get revenge]." Soeun

was hit twice with a stick while sleeping in a hammock.

MARCH 20: A couple, Chea Pheng, 52, and Lim Keang, 46, who owned a noodle

making shop, were killed after their house collapsed at midnight in Psar Chas precinct,

Phnom Penh. Police said the house collapsed after a gas container exploded while

making noodles. At least six people died and 17 other workers were trapped inside

the French colonial style building.

MARCH 21: Police killed five people with AK-47s and five others were severely

wounded while they tried to protect their land at 9:30 a.m. in Khbal Spean village,

Banteay Meanchey province. A villager said police attacked the crowd with guns as

they held a rally with guns, knifes, axes and sickles to defend their land after

the provincial court judged that village chief Tin Aun had won the land. More than

218 families, who occupied 61,600 square meter plot, were left homeless.

MARCH 21: Yim Nhean, 36, was beaten to death while returning home from drinking

with his friends the previous night in Teuk Thlar commune, on the outskirts of Phnom

Penh. A witness told police a group of gangsters killed Nhean with a stick, then

they escaped on foot. Mao Phirun, 19, was later arrested for questioning because

police suspected that he had been involved in the murder.

MARCH 21: A construction manager, Yu Kheng, 44, was found hanged from a window

of his house in Kandal Krom village, Kandal province. Police said Kheng was strangled

and his body hanged there with a krama the previous night. Police said robbery probably

motivated the killing because his motorbike and 10 damleung of gold were stolen.

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

Pheap