JULY 15: A provincial court sentenced Chea Mak, 73, to 15 years in prison

and ordered him to pay 1 million riel in damages after being found guilty of a rape

that he committed two months ago in Kauk Ngoun village, Kampong Thom province. Provincial

judge, Em Kim Eng said that Mak raped a 14-year-old girl. The girl said at the hearing

that Mak offered 1,000 riel after raping her.

JULY 16: A blacksmith, Him Soknhy, 19, was knifed to death during a nighttime

dancing argument in Khbal Trach village, Pursat province. Police said that Soknhy

had made an arrangement to fight with one of ten gangsters about 150 meters from

a funeral ceremony, where they had argued in the early evening. Police said the gangsters

stabbed Soknhy twice in the neck, then they escaped.

JULY 16: Nine people were arrested for a murder committed last year in Lar

In village, Ratanakkiri province. Police said the suspects shot their neighbor, Kheng

Ry, 45, while he was guarding his farmland. The murderers told police that they killed

Ry after receiving support from his wife and the village chief. They said that Ry

often committed violent acts against his wife and neighbors when he was drunk.

JULY 17: Heng Routha, 26, a military official with Brigade 313, was sent to

a provincial hospital for surgery after being shot at midnight in Borey Kamakor village,

Kampong Speu province. A witness told police that Routha was shot once in the chest

with an AK-47 while trying to stop five provincial military officers who were in

a truck loaded with illegal timber.

JULY 17: Police arrested Pheng Thai, 18, after he confessed to a rape in Tar

Ong village, Kampong Cham province. Police said that Thai raped a 10-year-old girl,

then tried to escape. The girl said Thai grabbed her from behind then raped her while

she was collecting vegetables around his house.

JULY 18: Chhun Neang, 22, took her husband, Khean Ean, 25, to a provincial

hospital for medical treatment after she knifed him during a nighttime argument in

Me Mout commune, Kampong Cham province. Neang was arrested and she later told police

that she stabbed her drunken husband in the stomach because he grabbed her hair and

knocked her down.

JULY 18: A 20-year-old monk, Sam Tolla, was found hanged from a tree in the

early morning at his pagoda in Banteay Yuon village, Pursat province. Police said

Tolla committed suicide, adding that his family reported he was not happy after a

neighbor took back a borrowed television two days before his death.

JULY 18: Chhai Chhen, 33, was found dead at 6 a.m. in Prey Treng village,

Prey Veng province. Police said that Chhen was murdered with an ax while walking

on the way to Svay Antor market where he planned to buy a bicycle for his son. Police

suspect revenge was the motivation for the killing because his money was not stolen.

JULY 18: Police arrested In Sovan, 34, for being violent at 5 p.m. in Prek

Snor village, Battambang province. Police said Sovan attempted to kill his wife,

Veat Sokhom, 29, as a result of an argument. A neighbor said that Sovan hit Sokhom

on the back of the head with a hoe while she was eating dinner in the kitchen after

the domestic dispute. Sokhom was taken to a hospital for medical treatment, but is

expected to die because of massive head injuries.

JULY 19: Har Dor, 25, ran away after killing his brother-in-law, Touch Leang,

45, in the afternoon in Teuk Lang 2 village, Kampong Speu province. A witness told

police that Dor hit Leang several times on the head with a stick while arguing over

karaoke. The witness said Dor was angry because Leang had tried to chop him with

a heavy knife when he did not gave him the microphone to sing a song.

JULY 20: Police are looking for three gangsters who escaped after committing

an armed assault during a nighttime dispute over dancing in Chan Kong village, Kampong

Cham province. A witness told police that the gangsters axed Yoeun Yong, 28, in the

head and the back, and stabbed him three times with a knife, before running away.

The witness said the argument happened while dancing to rock music. Yong was sent

to a provincial hospital for treatment.

JULY 20: Sou Saroeun, 41, was killed by lightning during heavy rain at 5:30

p.m. in Ampil Teuk village, Kandal province. A witness said Saroeun was struck by

the lightning and died instantly while guarding his farmland.

JULY 23: A construction worker, Tep Bunly, 26, died at the Russian hospital

after he was beaten while walking home from a nearby karaoke shop at 9:30 p.m. in

Thmey village, Phnom Penh. His friend told police that Bunly was struck from behind

with sticks by five people who had argued with him over singing at the karaoke shop

in the early evening. The assailants escaped.

JULY 24: Mang Mao, 43, escaped after killing his brother-in-law, Nha Chhai,

36, at around 7 p.m. in Cheach Choeung village, Kampong Cham province. Police said

Mao killed Chhai with a heavy knife then cut his head off during the attack. Police

said Mao was angry because the battery charger he was trying to fix with Chhai was

not working.

JULY 25: Police found the body of a 40-year-old unidentified man at 5:50 a.m.

in Psar Kambaul village, Kandal province. Police said the man, who wore a yellow

T-shirt and a gray trousers, was shot in the chest with a gun and his body dumped,

after being killed elsewhere the previous night. Police suspect revenge was behind

the killing because his seven chi gold necklace was not stolen.

JULY 25: Malin Malika, 24, was arrested for an act he committed six months

ago in Phnom Penh. Police said that Malika persuaded a 17-year-old girl to come his

house then demanded she take off her dress. Malika took a photograpth of the naked

girl with a camera in his mobile phone and distributed the image to other phone users.

The girl told police that Malika forced her into taking the naked picture in exchange

for not raping her.

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

Pheap