JANUARY 27: Keo Siphat, 25, an English teacher at a private school, was arrested
by police for questioning after Kong Rina, 34, accused him of raping her 14-year-old
daughter in Psar Tauch village, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh. The woman told police
that Siphat persuaded her daughter to go to a cinema then brought her to a guesthouse
where he raped her.
JANUARY 27: The body of San Bunthy, 20, who had been missing for 24 days,
was found in a forest in San Sor village, Pursat province. Police said Bunthy was
murdered elsewhere and his body put in a sack and dumped in the forest. Police suspect
a neighbor who recently had been seen fishing with Bunthy.
JANUARY 28: Mon Sinang, 20, was robbed of his motorbike while parking on a
sidewalk to urinate with his friend in Olympic commune, Phnom Penh. Sinang came to
a police station and complained that one of four robbers on two motorbikes aimed
a handgun at him and struck him on the head with the butt then stole his mobile phone
and escaped on his bike.
JANUARY 28: Hurn Soth, 20, was arrested by police after committing violence
on Heng Cheng, 32, who had been involved in a love affair with Soth's mother in Leap
Tung village, Kampong Thom province. Police said Soth walked in on the pair having
sex and hit Cheng four times on the head with the handle of an ax.
JANUARY 29: Two students were killed in a nighttime accident when their speeding
motorbike crashed into the Independence Monument in Tonle Bassac commune, Phnom Penh.
Police said the two were Oun Vuthea, 22, who died instantly, and his friend, Iath
Samnang, 22, who died later at Calmette Hospital.
JANUARY 29: Police arrested two people while escaping into a lake after robbing
Burn Chanpiseth, 30, a motorbike taxi driver, at 8:30pm in Russey village, Phnom
Penh. Chanpiseth said the robbers had posed as motodop customers, and when they stopped
at their destination beat him and attempted to steal his bike. Police said the suspects
were Chea Veang, 21, and Sam Bunsong, 25.
JANUARY 30: Phay Sophal, 31, was found dead on his duck farm in Por Reang
commune, Prey Veng province. Thou Sokuntha, police inspector of Kampong Leav district,
said Sophal was murdered with an ax and his head was cut off while he was sleeping
on his farm the previous night. Sokuntha suspected revenge was the reason for the
killing much more than robbery.
JANUARY 30: Khoun Sodary, a national assembly member (CPP), had $11,700 in
cash stolen while she attended a conference on administrative reform at the Intercontinental
Hotel in Phnom Penh. Sodary told newspapers that she left her cash bag on a table
at the conference during a bathroom break, and when she returned the money was gone.
Sodary said the cash was the January payroll for a private school.
JANUARY 30: An 18-year-old girl, Chhan Y, was found dead at 9:30am in a forest
near her house. She went missing a day earlier in Trapaing L'boeuk village, Kampot
province. Police came to examine the body and said the girl was murdered with a knife
and had her throat cut after being raped.
JANUARY 30: Two robbers escaped on a stolen motorbike after killing a motorbike
taxi driver, Lep Leang, 42, during a lunchtime robbery in Khbal Chin village, Kampong
Speu province. A passerby said the robbers had posed as motodop customers. They asked
Leang to stop and chopped him many times in the head with an ax then escaped.
JANUARY 31: Ros Sandan, 27, was shot and severely wounded during a nighttime
robbery while he was driving home on a motorbike in O'Russey 3 commune, Phnom Penh.
Eyewitnesses told police that two robbers on a motorbike stopped Sandan and shot
him in the groin with a K-59 handgun and then stole $500 before escaping on his bike.
Sandan was taken to Calmette Hospital for surgery.
FEBRUARY 1: Police are looking for Khieu Thanvichar, 42, the youngest brother
of information minister Khieu Kanharith, who went missing four days ago in Phnom
Penh. His family told police that they worried for his life because Thanvichar was
last seen wearing pricey jewelry.
FEBRUARY 1: He Hang, 23, was fatally gunned down during a nighttime drinking
session in Sapor village, Kampong Cham province. Police said Hang was shot once in
the chest with an AK-47 while arguing with Penh Narith, 46, a policeman in Seda commune.
Narith escaped after the killing. A bystander said Narith created problems after
he drank two cases of beer.
FEBRUARY 2: Chea Thoeung, 23, was arrested after killing his stepfather, Chea
Yean, 66, a day earlier during a nighttime argument in Tabep village, Svay Rieng
province. Police said Thoeung asked Yean for 2,000 riel to buy cigarettes, but his
request was refused. Thoeung was angry and beat Yean to death with a steel bar and
then tried to escape with his sister who police also arrested.
FEBRUARY 2: Soul Thun, 28, was arrested for a rape he allegedly committed
Jan 31 in Prek Tapring village, Kandal province. Police said the arrest was made
after a 22-year-old widow with a child complained that Thun raped her while sleeping
at a rental house. The woman said Thun promised to marry her but changed his mind
after having sex with her.
FEBRUARY 3: Three gangsters escaped after injuring Pov Sopheak, 25, a construction
worker, during a nighttime dancing argument in Prey Tea village on the outskirts
of Phnom Penh. A bystander told police that Sopheak was attacked with a sword while
rock dancing with his friend, who was also injured at the same time. Sopheak died
later at Preah Kossamak hospital.
FEBRUARY 4: Police are looking for Kim Tolla, 30, who escaped after killing
Nath Ho, 21, with a rifle while playing snooker at 10:50pm in Ang village on the
outskirts of Phnom Penh. Police said Tolla argued with some people then opened fire,
shooting three or four times over them and one bullet hit the neck of Ho while standing
to watch the snooker.
FEBRUARY 4: Five people escaped after injuring Kuy Sambath, 19, during a drinking
session at 3:30pm in Chhoeu Teal Chrum village, Kampong Speu province. A witness
told police the five beat Sambath and stabbed him in the chest with a knife when
they were drunk on palm wine. Sambath was sent to Preah Kossamak hospital in Phnom
Penh for treatment, but he later died.
FEBRUARY 4: Technical police and medical doctors came to inspect British national
Robinson Leeantany, 33, after he was found dead at 10:30am at a rental house in Chatomuk
commune, Phnom Penh. A doctor said Robinson died of heart attack because he was drunk.
Police took the body to Calmette Hospital to wait for his family to come and repatriate
the body.
- Translated from Khmer newspapers Koh Santepheap and Rasmei Kampuchea by Aun
Pheap
