June 18: The bodies of two men were found floating in the sea off Koh Kong province, two days after their speed boat slammed into the trunk of a coconut tree at night, police said. They said Som Vibol, 47, a member of border police battalion 827 based in the province, and his passenger, Chea, a Kandal province resident returning from working in Thailand, were killed in the accident. The boat, which Chea had hired, hit one of a number of coconut tree trunks installed vertically under a bridge in Mondol Seima district to block the passage of big vessels, said deputy provincial police chief, Sin Sen. “Som Vibol could not see the tree trunk because he was driving the boat at night,” Sen told the Post in a telephone interview. The two victims suffered fatal head injuries in the accident, which left the boat badly damaged, he said. (Thet Sambath)

June 20: A Kratie province primary school teacher fled arrest after parents complained he was raping his students. The accused, 25-year-old Ub Sopy of Roka Kandal 1 village, Kratie district, teaches second grade at Chrava Kohdach Primary School in nearby Kolorp commune. Kolorp commune police chief Chak Phally said the victims were five girls in the same class, two of whom were seriously injured. The latter two girls told police that Sopy persuaded each of them to go with him into the bathroom during school recess and then raped them and threatened to kill them if they told anyone what happened. Police have gone to the provincial court to have a warrant issued for Sopy’s arrest.

June 22: Alleged drug addict Khiev Veasna, 18, was arrested by the military police of Khan 7 Makara at 7:10pm near the gate of Olympic Stadium in Sangkat Veal Vong, Phnom Penh, after he destroyed a passerby’s motorbike and then attacked a military police official with a heavy knife when the official tried to intervene. The official said the passerby, Hang Samnang, 30, was driving his motorbike on the way to buy drinking water at a market north of the stadium when a group of nine or ten youths passed by and began fighting and insulting each other. Veasna spoke up in an effort to stop the fight, after which one of the youths began attacking Veasna’s motorbike. Four military police arrived, and the youths scattered and fled, but one remained and attempted to attack one of the police officers, striking him on the head with the knife. His helmet prevented him from being injured.

June 23: A motorbike taxi driver was assaulted with a sickle and robbed directly in front of the Sandan village police station in Teuk Vil commune, Puok district, Siem Reap province. Police said the victim, Dul Sareuon, 25, from Lolok Sar commune, Sampov Meas district, Pursat province, had stopped outside the police station to let a customer off when the passenger began attacking Sareuon, using a sickle to saw at his neck. Sareuon’s shouting and struggling caused the thief to flee after stealing only a mobile phone.

June 23: Bu Deoun, 25, was taken to hospital at 1:35am after being shot by a security guard at the Long Beach Plaza Hotel karaoke parlor located in Phnom Penh at the corner of streets 289 and 528 in Boeung Kak 1 commune, Tuol Kork. The shooting occurred when Deoun and two companions rented room number 7 on the third floor of the hotel for a karaoke party. During their party, two glasses were smashed. When they attempted to settle their bill, they were charged $10 for the two glasses. One of the customers complained, saying, “My clients come here for entertainment every week, so you don’t need to charge for two glasses.” He then entered the bathroom and fired a gun, which was then confiscated by a security guard at the hotel. The guard then came out of the bathroom and challenged the other customers in the group to a shooting contest, asking “Who thinks he’s the best shot?” Deoun asked why the guard had fired the gun and demanded an apology. The guard responded by shooting Deoun in the stomach.

June 23: Two men armed with AK-47 automatic weapons and long-handled knives attempted to rob a shophouse selling wood in Obeng village, Stung Trang district, Kampong Cham province. The two men climbed over a locked gate at 4am and were attempting to break into the house through a door when it was opened by the owner, Chheang Sirath, 33, who confronted the pair.  One of the men chopped him on the face, cutting him from eyebrow to chin. Sirath then struggled with his attacker, grabbed one of the guns and fired four times, killing one of the robbers instantly.

June 24: Two youths were shot and injured by a man riding a motorbike and weaving to the right and left on Monivong Boulevard near the corner of Street 106 in Phnom Penh at 9:45pm. Police identified the victims as Yu Sos Sugut, 19, a 12th grade student injured in the left thigh, and Seou Sak Sorith, 18, a garment worker, injured in the left buttock. Police said the victims tried to ride their motorbike to hospital themselves.

June 24: A 12-year-old girl died after being savagely beaten while at home alone. The incident occurred between 8am and 9am in Tanon village, Krang Svay commune, Chhuok district, Kampot province. Police chief Ék Seng identified the victim as Vat Srey Pov. The girl’s elder brother found her under the family home lying in a pool of blood. Police said she had been beaten on the head with a heavy, blunt object.