The body of a man with a slashed throat was found 5 kilometres outside Siem Reap town in the early hours of yesterday morning, with police suggesting the motive for his killing was not robbery.

According to Siem Reap police chief Tith Narong, patrolling officers found the body in an area of vacant land in Prey Khuy village, located in Prasat Bakong district’s Ampil commune,

at about 5am.

“At the scene, officers found a phone without a SIM card and [the victim’s] motorcycle. He hadn’t lost any of his belongings, so we think it is [an intentional] murder,” he said.

The victim was identified as Keo Ratanack, 29, originally from Phnom Penh but living in Siem Reap district’s Kokchak commune at the time of his death.

Narong said initial investigations suggested the man was killed sometime between 1am and 3am yesterday, and that an edged weapon was used in the killing.

Police are appealing for witnesses and have said they want to speak to a man who was known to have been a recent sexual partner of the victim.