"No Justice for Chea Vichea’s Murder, 22 Years Later", 22 January 2026

Around 70 people gathered this morning at the statue of the slain former president of the Free Trade Union of the Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC), Chea Vichea, in central Phnom Penh to mark the 22nd anniversary of his murder. The participants included union activists, youths, political activists, and politicians, such as Chea Mony, Vichea’s brother …

Chea Vichea was shot and killed outside of Wat Langka pagoda on 22 January 2004. Following the assassination, two innocent men, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeurn, were wrongly convicted of his murder and imprisoned for five years before having their convictions overturned.

The person or people responsible for Vichea’s murder have never been identified. Over two decades later, there is no justice for Chea Vichea. Participants in the rally this morning called for justice and for a proper investigation into his murder, to find justice for him as well as other slain union activists.