Gunman called ‘Meet to Kill’ admits murdering Cambodian critic

PHNOM PENH: An unemployed former Cambodian soldier who calls himself ‘ Meet to Kill’ admitted to the brazen murder of a renowned government critic yesterday, saying the hit was in revenge for an unpaid debt.

Doubt was immediately cast over his apparent motive by Kem Ley’s supporters in a country with a long and dark history of political assassinations.

Oeuth Ang, a former soldier who had little steady work, shot Kem Ley in the head while his victim was having a morning coffee at a Phnom Penh gas station in July.

He told the court that he gave 3,000 to the outspoken activist for a property deal that went bad — more than double Cambodia’s average annual wage.

Pleading guilty at a four-hour trial in the capital, the 44-yearold said he acted alone after following Kem Ley for days to find the right moment to strike.

“I shot twice,” he told the court. “The first bullet struck his head but I was afraid he would not die, so I fired another shot at him.” But the accused now said he “felt regret” for the killing.

Throughout, Oeuth Ang insisted the court address him by his nickname Chuob Samlab, which in Khmer means ‘meet to kill’ — a moniker given to him during his years as a soldier. He faces life in prison. Tens of thousands turned out for Kem Ley’s funeral in scenes that rattled the government of ruling strongman Hun Sen.

The prime minister’s more than three decade rule has seen multiple critics murdered in rarely solved cases, especially in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Kem Ley was an eloquent and charismatic critic of Cambodia’s politicians in both the ruling government and its opposition.

He set up a new grassroots political movement, although it has now abandoned plans to field candidates in upcoming local elections this year.

In the days before his death, he gave interviews on a report alleging Hun Sen’s family to have amassed huge wealth.