Chea Vichea ( km, ជា វិជ្ជា) was the leader of the
Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia
The Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia (FTUWKC) is a trade union in Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern ...
(FTUWKC) until his
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
on
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...
, 22 January 2004.
Following his death, he was succeeded in his position at the FTUWKC by his younger brother Chea Mony.
Vichea was shot in the head and chest early in the morning while reading a
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
at a
kiosk
Historically, a kiosk () was a small garden pavilion open on some or all sides common in Iran, Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward. Today, several examples of this type of kiosk still exist ...
in
Daun Penh district,
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
. He had recently been dismissed by the INSM Garment Factory (located in the Chum Chao District of Phnom Penh) as a reprisal for helping to establish a
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
at the company. He also had close affiliations with the opposition
Sam Rainsy Party
The Candlelight Party ( km, គណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន) is a liberal party in Cambodia. The party was a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats, Liberal International, and the Alliance of Democrats. It is the largest ...
.
Investigation
![Chea Vichea's monument in Phnom Penh, Sihanouk Blvd, statue](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Chea_Vichea%27s_monument_in_Phnom_Penh%2C_Sihanouk_Blvd%2C_statue.JPG)
A few days after Vichea's killing, and facing mounting criticism for their failure to act, Cambodian authorities arrested two men and charged them with the murder.
The first, Born Samnang, was arrested in
Prey Veng Province and transferred to
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
overnight. He initially admitted to the killing but then publicly retracted, claiming to have been tortured into confessing. Multiple eyewitnesses have placed Born Samnang in a different part of the country at the time of the murder.
The second suspect, Sok Sam Oeun, has consistently denied any involvement and also has alibis placing him in a party with friends at the time of the murder.
The criminal investigation was done by Phnom Penh's
Tuol Kork
Tuol Kouk ( km, ទួលគោក ; meaning "Dry Hill") is a district (''khan'') in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tuol Kouk is well known for the large villas in its northern part of the district. This district is subdivided into 10 '' sangkats'' and 14 ...
district police and plagued by irregularities. Officers focused on threatening and rounding up those who provided alibis for the suspects, while witnesses were intimidated
On 22 March 2004, the case's
inquisitorial system, Investigating Judge, Hing Thirith, threw out the charges against the two men, citing a lack of evidence against them and weak credibility of the police investigatio
The next day, Hing Thirith was removed from his position at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, and his decision to drop charges was subsequently overturned on 1 June 2004 by the
appellate court, Appeals Court Presiding Judge Thou Mon
The trial took place more than a year after the murder while Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun remained in custody in Phnom Penh, despite a Cambodian legal limitation that no one be detained without trial for longer than six months. The case has been taken up by both national and international organisations, including
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
,
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
and
ILO
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and ol ...
.
Trial
![Chea Vichea 10th anniversary death](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Chea_Vichea_10th_anniversary_death.jpg)
On 1 August 2005, the Phnom Penh Municipal Courts delivered a judgment which was highly criticized by both local and international organizations, who deemed it unfair and politically biased rather than based on independent and reasonable judgment.
Sok Sam Oeun and Born Samnang were judged guilty after a trial where no witnesses testified against the accused and no forensic evidence was brought to court. Both individuals were sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay $5,000 compensation each to the family of the victim.
Chea Vichea's family turned down the compensation, stating that they did not believe the two convicted were the real murderers.
References
External links
Human Rights Watch press release: Labor Leader’s Murder Fosters FearAmnesty International report: The killing of trade unionist Chea VicheaCHRAC press release: CHRAC condemns assassination of Chea Vichea January 22, 2004
CHRAC press release: Unjust Verdict Issued by Phnom Penh Municipal Court in Chea Vichea Case August 3, 2005
Who Killed Chea Vichea?: Documentary film (2010)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chea, Vichea
1960 births
People from Kandal province
Cambodian activists
Cambodian trade unionists
Candlelight Party politicians
Assassinated Cambodian people
Assassinated activists
Deaths by firearm in Cambodia
People murdered in Cambodia
2004 deaths