Police Chief Inherits Slew of Grievous Cases
Rights workers asked Wednesday whether Gen. Neth Savoeun will solve the serious crimes his predecessor was accused of ignoring or perpe
As he begins his work as national police chief, Gen. NethSavoeun will face a pile of open cases that his predecessor was accused ofignoring, impeding or perpetrating. Rights workers Wednesday wondered whetherthe new chief would make progress on any of them. The former police chief, Hok Lundy, who died in a helicoptercrash Sunday, failed to solve a number of high-profile cases that pained thenation: extrajudicial killings in the July 1997 coup, a grenade attack onopposition demonstrators that killed 16 in March 1997, and the murders of actress Piseth Pilika, Funcinpec lawmaker OmRasady and opposition journalist Khim Sambor. Hok Lundy, a powerful Cambodian People’s Partyofficial close to Prime Minster Hun Sen, was routinely accused ofcollaboration in most of the cases. His death also left two men in prison widelyconsidered innocent in the 2004 murder of labor leader Chea Vichea. Rights workers were split on whether a police force underNeth Savoeun, who was a deputy of Hok Lundy and is married to a niece of HunSen, would be able to solve any of the cases. “I don’t believe the appointment of Neth Savoeun as newnational police chief will solve the crimes that happened in recent years,” OuVireak, chairman of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said. Even if Neth Savoeun had a will to investigate them, Ou Vireak said, he could face incarceration like Heng Pov. The former Phnom Penh police chief fingered Hok Lundy for a litany of crimes after Heng Pov fled the country in 2006, only to be extradited and imprisoned. “When Heng Pov knew of these crimes, the government arrestedhim and put him in jail,” Ou Vireak said. Heng Pov is now serving more than 50 years in a Cambodianprison and faces yet more charges for his alleged involvement in crimeswhile he was city chief under Hok Lundy. Brad Adams, Asia directorfor Human Rights Watch, doubted Neth Savoeun would make major changes to thepolice. “He would almost certainly continue to politicize the workof the police and tighten Hun Sen’s personalized control over the nationalpolice,”Adams said. Am Sam Art, an investigator for the rights group Licadho,said he believed the appointment could lead to breakthroughs in all the seriouscases. “I believe Neth Savoeun will reform the national policeforce to have a good reputation, not like Hok Lundy,” he said. “That’s why he should doeverything in the interest of the people.” Chea Mony, brother of slain union worker Chea Vichea andpresident of the Free Trade Union, said he hoped Neth Savoeun would find“justice” in that case. Two men believed innocent, Born Samnang and SokSamoeun, are serving 20-year prison sentences for the murder. “I think Neth Savoeun could find the real killers involvedin the murder of my brother,” Chea Mony said. “We are ready to cooperate withhim and give him the evidence if the police force needs the local NGOs tohelp.” Vorn Phonn, 63, father of Sok Samoeun, appealed to NethSavoeun to reexamine the case. “I request to the replacement of Hok Lundy to urge theSupreme Court to judge the cases of my son and nephew Born Samnang,” he said. “Ifiled a complaint in May 2007, and until now it has been more than a year, so Ihope Neth Savoeun can be able to push the judicial process.” Gen. Neth Savoeun could not be reached for commentWednesday. Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Interior Ministry,said, “Those cases have not been closed by the Ministry of Interior.” “We will be investigating those crimes to find justice forthe people, for the victims,” he said.