Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - SRP activist: 'Get me out of Cambodia'

SRP activist: 'Get me out of Cambodia'

SRP activist: 'Get me out of Cambodia'

srp.jpg
srp.jpg

SRP activist Kung Bun Heang and wife, shortly after his release from prison March 6, 2000.

Sam Rainsy Party activist Kung Bun Heang has made a moving appeal for international

assistance to protect both him and his family from possible "reprisals"

following his release on March 6 from Phnom Penh's Military Prison.

Bun Heang and fellow SRP detainee Mong Davuth had been held virtually incommunicado

since their Sep 1999 arrests in connection with a Sep 1998 Siem Reap B40-rocket attack

on a motorcade of government officials including Prime Minister Hun Sen.

CPP officials have consistently described the incident as an assassination attempt

orchestrated by Rainsy.

Bun Heang's arrest was widely criticized by human rights groups at the time due to

the fact that he was in prison in Battambang on a separate weapons charge at the

time of the attack.

Interviewed on March 9 just hours before going into hiding with his family, a frail

and nervous Bun Heang reiterated his claims of innocence.

"This is a letter from the court in Battambang verifying I was in prison in

Battambang at the time," he told the Post . "It's impossible that I could

have been involved with the rocket attack."

According to Bun Heang, during each of the three interrogation sessions he faced

over his six months imprisonment, representatives of Military Intelligence Research

Unit Director Mol Roeup offered him bribes in the amount of 22 damleung of gold (worth

approximately US$7,000) in return for agreeing to publicly admit that Rainsy had

ordered the attack.

"After they made the offer, I was told the government would guarantee my safety

if I said the incident was caused by Rainsy," he said. "I told them that

this wasn't fair, that I wouldn't cooperate even if it was for a lot of money."

Public statements by Military Intelligence Research Unit Deputy Director Hour Sareth

that Bun Heang and Davuth remained suspects in the case have made Bun Heang anxious

about his future.

"When I left the prison, they told me 'Be careful'," Bun Heang said. "I

live in fear. ... I can't go back to Battambang because it's not safe.... [The government]

can kill people easily, they are very cruel," he said.

Bun Heang appealed for international assistance to assure his and his family's safety.

"I request that any international persons or organizations that can help get

me out of Cambodia to please do so, for mine and my family's safety," he said.

"Even here, in the middle of the Sam Rainsy Party headquarters, it's not safe

for me."

Attempts by the Post to contact Hour Sareth regarding Bun Heang's allegations were

unsuccessful.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one