"NGOs continue to demand justice ahead of anniversary of murder of Kem Ley", 9 July 2022

Ahead of the sixth anniversary of the murder of Kem Ley, civil society groups once more urged the Cambodian government to carry out an independent and public investigation.

The prominent political commentator was gunned down at a Caltex gas station in Phnom Penh allegedly over a $3,000 debt ... The gunman, Oeuth Ang, who gave his name as “Chuob Samlab”, or “Meet to Kill”, was sentenced to life in prison ... for premeditated murder and for illegally obtaining a weapon.

Chak Sopheap, executive director at CCHR, said that the murder of Kem Ley constitutes one of the most emblematic cases of impunity in Cambodia.

“The investigation into his murder lacked genuineness and thoroughness, and the farcical trial was widely criticized for its failure to meet international fair trial rights standards,” she said.

..., the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) commemorated the anniversary of Kem Ley’s death, with a special event that included offering food to monks, reciting a poem from the public dedicated to him, and hosting a discussion of his work.

Kem Ley’s wife Bou Rachana, who fled to live in Australia with her five sons shortly after his killing, spoke in a pre-recorded video urging a full investigation into his case.

“For this justice, I have not recognized from the beginning because we know that doctor [Kem Ley] could not afford to borrow $ 3,000 from another person [Oeuth Ang] and the one who lent him also does not have money to lend him,” Ms. Rachana said...