JANUARY 13: A group of five gunmen escaped after they killed a man during
a nighttime robbery in Prey Trach village, Takeo province. Chouk Sina told police
the robbers killed her husband after stealing 2 million riel. Police said the victim,
Khlaing Noeun, 41, was taken out of the house and shot in the head with an AK-47.
JANUARY 13: Police arrested Buot Lous, 38, after he committed a murder at
10 a.m. in Kauk Trop village, Battambang province. Police said Lous killed his wife
during a family feud. Three months pregnant, Mao Sengkim, 32, was chopped twice in
the head with a heavy knife, and stabbed several times in the chest and the stomach,
and died instantly at the scene.
JANUARY 14: Ung Chhunleang, 46, was shot in the back while driving home in
his car at 7:40 p.m. on Monivong Boulevard in Wat Phnom precinct, Phnom Penh. Police
suspect revenge was the reason because Chhunleang recently had a land dispute in
Dangkor district, Phnom Penh. Chhunleang was sent to Calmette Hospital and was later
transferred to a hospital in Thailand.
JANUARY 14: A moto-taxi driver, Cheng Song, 35, was sent to a hospital after
being found unconsciousness in the early morning at a guesthouse in Damrey Chornkhla
village, Kampong Thom province. Song recovered and he later told a doctor that he
had been drugged with sleeping pills while eating dinner the previous night with
his two passengers who stole his motorbike.
JANUARY 14: Sok Sochea, 44, was arrested for rape in Teuk Laak 1 commune,
Phnom Penh. Police said Sochea raped his 14-year-old daughter and tried to escape
on a motorbike after he committed the last rape three days previously. The girl said
she had been raped repeatedly over two years and that Sochea threatened to kill her
whole family if she told her mother about it.
JANUARY 15: A 58-year-old woman, Kreal Vanthouch, died at Calmette Hospital
after she was shot during a revenge attack at 4:30 p.m. in front of her house in
Psar Doeumthkao commune, Phnom Penh. A witness told police that two unknown men shot
her in the chest then they escaped on a motorbike. A neighbor, Soung Veng, 69, was
also shot and severely wounded during the same attack.
JANUARY 15: A mob killed one of two suspected robbers after they were found
hiding at 8:15 p.m. at a house in Trapaing Leap village, Kampong Speu province. Police
said the mob caught Kan Thoeun, 29, and killed him with heavy knives and axes after
he was accused of attempting to steal a cow. Police found an AK-47 that belonged
to an accomplice who left it at the scene before fleeing.
JANUARY 16: The body of a 4-month-old baby was found in a basket under a tree
at 3:30 p.m. in front of Psar Chhnang in Sam Rong village, Kampong Chhnang province.
Police suspect a couple killed the baby as they had been seen while dropping the
basket at the place.
JANUARY 16: Sin Sophal, 29, was knifed and seriously injured during a celebration
party for his new house in Peam village, Kampong Speu province. Police said Sophal
was struck several times in the head with a heavy knife after trying to stop two
groups of gangsters during an argument among dancers at his party.
JANUARY 17: A 16-year-old boy, Khy Khin, escaped after he knifed a 7-year-old
girl at 8:15 p.m. in Chong village, Prey Veng province. Ty Koeun said Khin attempted
to kill her daughter. Bun Keang was stabbed once in the neck and three times in the
chest while sleeping in bed. The girl was taken to the provincial hospital for surgery.
JANUARY 17: Police arrested one of three persons, Neang Phan, 22, after being
accused of a rape committed the previous day in Tadeth village, Svay Reang province.
Police said Phan and two other accomplices identified as Douch Socheath, 22, and
Roeun, 23, escaped after raping a 16-year-old girl while returning home from a dance
during a nighttime wedding party.
JANUARY 18: Three gunmen escaped after robbing two jewelry vendors at 7:15
p.m. at O'Russei. A witness said the robbers aimed weapons at the couple and took
a money bag containing three million riel and some jewelry while preparing to close
their shop.
JANUARY 18: Police arrested two suspected robbers while they were dancing
during a wedding party at 7:30 p.m. in Chek village, Takeo province. Kin Var, 58,
told police that Hang Heang, 22, and San Vanna, 18, knocked him on the head with
a long stick then they escaped after stealing 86,000 riel while he was riding home
on a bicycle.
JANUARY 19: Seng Touch, 44, and her neighbor, Um Dany, 30, were sent to Calmette
Hospital for treatment after being severely injured in a robbery at 10:15 a.m. in
Chraing Chamras 1 village, Phnom Penh. Police said Touch was chopped with a heavy
knife by Yoeu Mean, 30, who was arrested after trying to escape with a one damleung
gold necklace, and a one damleung bracelet. Dany was stabbed in the stomach with
a knife after coming to help Touch.
JANUARY 19: Three gunmen committed a robbery and escaped on a stolen motorbike
at around 7 p.m. in Kam Reang village, Kandal province. A witness told police the
robbers blocked the path of a garment worker, Sok Rithy, 21, and shot him in the
thigh with a handgun then they stole his motorbike. Police took Rithy to Preah Kossamak
hospital in Phnom Penh for surgery.
JANUARY 19: Police arrested Lart Leng, 33, after a 57-year-old woman accused
him of rape at 11 a.m. in Taney village, Sihanoukville. The woman told police that
Leng brought her to a nearby forest and raped her while walking home from buying
rice at a private shop about one kilometer from the house. Leng confessed that he
raped the woman because he was drunk.
JANUARY 20: A guesthouse owner found the naked body of a British national,
identified only as Cavendish, 43, at his room in Sihanoukville. Police have no comment
about the death, but said Cavendish had been staying at the guesthouse for over two
weeks and he probably died in his bed at around 3 a.m. after returning from drinking
beer. The body was sent to the British Embassy in Phnom Penh for investigation.
JANUARY 20: Soy Seng, 52, was found hanged with a rope at 4:30 p.m. from the
roof of his house in Prey Veng Khangkoeut village, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Police said Seng committed suicide after he had argued with his wife.
JANUARY 20: Sit Cheap, 49, was knifed and severely injured during a family
argument in Anlong Vil village, Battambang province. Police said Cheap was stabbed
in the stomach by his son, Lam Chhunly, 16, who was later arrested. Chhunly became
angry after Cheap threatened to kill him with a hoe when he was drunk. Cheap was
sent to a hospital in the province.
JANUARY 22: The body of a 40-year-old unidentified man was found on a hill
located in Trapaing Chhouk village, Kandal province. Police said the man was strangled
with a rope elsewhere. The reason for the murder is not known.
JANUARY 22: Sam Oun, 22, was axed and severely injured during a nighttime
dancing argument in Prey Chamkar village, Prey Veng province. A witness said Oun
was chopped twice by an unknown man who escaped.
JANUARY 23: A British national, Nicholas Harvey, 39, was found naked and dead
in his locked room in Le Royal Hotel in Phnom Penh. A doctor said the man died from
a drug overdose as some medicines and narcotic drugs were found on his bed. The body
was sent to Calmette Hospital for an autopsy.
- Translated from Khmer newspapers Koh Santepheap and Rasmei Kampuchea by Aun
Pheap