Family plans petition amid beating inquiry

THE family of a man allegedly beaten to death in police custody in Kandal’s Sa’ang district on October 21 has collected thumbprints from nearly 100 fellow villagers for a petition seeking justice from “other institutions” should current investigations prove unsatisfactory.

“We have collected about a hundred thumbprints [in the past few days] . . . We will consider whether to collect more after we see the result of the investigation by the court and the provincial police,” said the deceased’s father-in-law, Mom Kry, adding that no police officer had enquired about the murder since the funeral.

“If the investigation . . . doesn’t provide justice, we will approach other institutions with this petition to find justice,” Kry said.

Chamroeun Seyha, 26, was allegedly beaten to death by three police officers after being mistaken for a robber and hauled in with four friends by district police officer Chhay Sina, 33 – a claim backed by accounts from witnesses and a survivor – despite authorities initially laying the blame on a mob of villagers.

“About 30 villagers who were at the scene voluntarily gave their thumbprints, because they wanted to clear their names, as they did not commit [the fatal beating] like authorities had claimed,” Kry said.

Provincial deputy police chief Roeun Nara yesterday said that the three police suspects had been summonsed for questioning but had not yet appeared, adding that he was not free to discuss follow-up plans by the police.