JANUARY 15: Police arrested five people after a murder was committed the previous day in Sela Khmer village, Banteay Meanchey province. Police said So Savong, 27, Soeu Vuthda, 32, Chhorm Yudy, 30, Doeu Sokhem, 36, and Tin Sophea, 27, killed two neighbors for stealing Baht 252,500 and four chi of platinum. A Sam Rainsy Party spokesman said this is a politically motivated killing because the victims were activists of the party.

JANUARY 15: Phan Thoeun, 22, was knifed and severely injured during a night-time family argument in Khpap village, Battambang province. Police said Thoeun was chopped four times by his father-in-law, Kong Sithau, 55, who resisted while protecting his wife after Thoeun knocked her down with a stick when he was drunk. Sithau was later arrested.

JANUARY 15: Pol Sinarth, 18, committed suicide at her house in Banteay Deyleu village, Pursat province. Police said the girl was angry and hanged herself as her second mother criticized her behavior after she took one day off for staying with her friends.

JANUARY 16: The Anti-Human Trafficking Police arrested Srouch Sangvek, 28, after he committed a rape two months ago in Boeng Trabek precinct, Phnom Penh. A 27-year-old woman complained to the court that Sangvek, who came from the same village in Takeo province, raped her ten times while staying at a guest-house in Phnom Penh and promised to marry her. He later married another woman and she then decided to go to the police.

JANUARY 17: An ambulance took a construction worker, Keo Naya, 36, to Calmette Hospital for treatment after being knifed during a robbery at around 8 am in Samrong Thom village, Kean Svay district, Kandal. A passer-by told police Naya got off a motodop to urinate and was stabbed several times in the chest and the waist by the driver, who stole his $30 and escaped.

JANUARY 17: Police found the body of an 11-year-old girl at a river tributary in Serey Sambath village, Kandal province. Police said the girl was strangled and her body dumped there after being raped while looking for her family's cows. Police arrested Pho Phuon, 35, after he had been seen along with her in the afternoon. Phuon later confessed to the police he killed the girl.

JANUARY 18: An 18-year-old boy, In Samol, was knifed to death at midnight after he and his three other accomplices attempted stealing some property at a house in Thnoat Chrum village, Meanchey district, Phnom Penh. Police said the boy was arrested and stabbed in the throat by the house owner, Ym Thy, 34. Thy paid 200,000 riels to the family for cremation costs.

JANUARY 18: Lan Bottum, 22, a gold vendor at Pouk market, was robbed of her jewelry while returning home at 4:30 pm in Kauk Choun village, Siem Reap province. Lan Sokunthea, 19, told police that two gunmen struck her sister on the head with the butt of a handgun and shot her in the thigh then they escaped empty-handed to a nearby forest after the authorities arrived.

JANUARY 19: Kam Bunny, 48, died instantly in a terrible accident while she was on a motodop at around 5 pm on Street 271 in Psar Doeum Thkau precinct, Phnom Penh. Police said the woman, who came from Boeng Thom village in Kandal province, was struck and run over from after she fell off the bike while her driver was trying to overtake a small truck loaded drainage pipes. The truck was left on the scene, but the driver ran away.

JANUARY 19: Sarbun Pheng, 36, a motodop driver from Sangha village, Traing district, Takeo province, was axed to death in a robbery at 9 pm near the municipal radio station in Sihanoukville. A witness told police an unknown man chopped Pheng twice in the neck then he escaped on the stolen motorbike.

JANUARY 19: A garment worker, Roeun Hong, 23, was sent to Chantrea clinic after she attempted suicide at 7:30 pm in Damnak Thom village, Phnom Penh. Police said the woman burned herself as she was angry at her husband who never helped her with housework. Hong was later sent to Preah Kossamak hospital as she did not have much money to pay for medical treatment to the clinic.

JANUARY 19: A 27-year-old man, San, who is a truck driver at the Pagoda construction company, was fatally gunned down at 9:30 p.m. while driving a motorbike with his friend in Khbal Spean Thmar precinct in Kampong Speu province. Te Bunhak, 21, told police San was shot after arguing with a gunman on the way as he was drunk. The gunman escaped on a motorbike after the shooting.

JANUARY 20: Chea Samnang, 23, a student at Chumpu Vorn high school, was arrested for two rape cases he committed seven months ago in Samrong Krom village, Dangkor district, Phnom Penh. Samnang confessed to police that he raped a 7-year-old girl and her 6-year-old sister.

JANUARY 20: Yeat Thearith, 23, was sent to Chantrea clinic for treatment after acid burned his face in an argument at around 11 am in Tuol Kork village, Phnom Penh. Police said Thearith was attacked by his girlfriend, Chin Chanthou, 20, who was also injured during the argument. Chanthou was angry and resisted to protect herself after Thearith attempted to attack her with the acid.

JANUARY 20: Veng Sovang, 33, a police officer at the Ministry of Interior, was shot dead in a robbery while driving a motorbike at 7:30 pm in Ta Ley village, Dangkor district, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Police said Sovang, who had been married only three days, blocked the robbers' getaway path and was shot three times with a K-54 handgun by one of three robbers who escaped on the stolen motorbike.

JANUARY 21: Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Ngang Ngoy, 50, after he shot a neighbor at 4:30 pm in Anlong Svay village, Battambang province. Police said Ngoy, who is a soldier from Division 53, escaped with two AK-47s after he shot Chum Saren, 40, three times during a revenge attack. Saren was sent to NGO Emergency Hospital for surgery.

JANUARY 21: A motodop driver, Orm Nim, 47, was axed to death in a night-time robbery in Prasoung village, Takeo province. A passer-by told police Nim was ordered to stop and chopped in the throat while collecting money from his passenger who escaped after stealing his motorbike.

JANUARY 22: The Free Trade Union of Workers President, Chea Vichea, 36, was fatally gunned down while reading a newspaper at 9:30 am on Street 51 in Boeng Keng Kang 1 precinct, Phnom Penh. Police said Vichea was shot three times with a K-59 handgun by one of two civilian gunmen who then escaped on a motorbike. Vichea had recently complained to the municipal police about a death threat on 22 July last year.

JANUARY 22: Police arrested a construction worker, Neng Noeu, 23, after attempting to rape his aunt the previous night in Chraing Chamras 2 commune, Russei Keo district, Phnom Penh. Police said Dy Pov, 33, complained that Noeu knocked her down and attempted rape her, but she ran off.

JANUARY 22: Police are looking for Teuk Phoeun, 31, after he committed a murder at 6:30 pm in Ampil Phaem village, Kampong Speu province. Police said Phoeun escaped after he killed a neighbor during a revenge attack. The victim was Hang Yoeun, 40, a construction worker, who was knifed twice in the face and then his head cut off while drinking palm juice with his three other neighbors.

JANUARY 23: Kheav Routha, 24, a worker at Yumeat China Tile company, was found dead at 6:30 am in Prek Tapov village, Kandal province. Police said Routha was murdered with a hoe while staying at the company the previous night. The reason for the killing is not known.

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