The Ministry of Interior Refused to Allow Chea Mony to Visit the Convict Heng Pov – Friday, 24.7.2009

Posted on 24 July 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 622
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“The Prisons Department of the Ministry of Interior rejected to allow the president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Mony, to visit the former Phnom Penh police chief, convict Heng Pov.

“In a letter to the trade union on 23 July 2009, signed by he head of the Prisons Department, General Heng Hak, said that the convict Heng Pov is jailed at the Prey Sar Prison, and he is taken care of carefully by a doctor who checks his health regularly, his lawyer goes often to work and to observe him, his family frequently visit him, and he has received regular support. Therefore the Prisons Department thinks that a visit by Mr. Chea Mony to the convict Heng Pov, jailed at the Prey Sar Prison, as an humanitarian act, is not necessary.

“What is mentioned above by the head of the Prisons Department of the Ministry of Interior is in response to a request, dated 19 June 2009, to visit the convict Heng Pov by the president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union, Mr. Chea Vichea.

“While Mr. Heng Pov was the Phnom Penh police chief, he was in charge of dealing with the murder of the former president of the Cambodian Free Trade Union of Workers, Mr. Chea Vichea, on 22 January 2004, whereas the perpetrators have not yet been arrested for prosecution, besides the two men: Born Samnang and Sok Sam Ouen, who had been accused as murderers and then were convicted and imprisoned. Anyway, the two men, considered by civil society, [by UN instititions,] and by Mr. Chea Vichea’s relatives [as well as by the ILO and the former King] as murderers, were released [on bail] by the Supreme Court on 31 December 2008 [but no information about the ongoing investigations is made public].

“After having been refused a permission to visit the former Phnom Penh police chief, Mr. Chea Mony, the younger brother of Mr. Chea Vichea, expressed his regret and considers it as a new form of discrimination in Khmer society.

“Mr. Chea Mony said that Mr. Heng Pov used to be the Phnom Penh police chief and used to crack down on many offenses and crimes. He has both good and bad achievements. Therefore, to visit this former police chief is just to encourage him, while he was prosecuted to serve in prison for the rest of his life for many murders.

“Asked whether his visit to the former Phnom Penh police chief Heng Pov was intended to ask him about the murder of Mr. Chea Vichea about 5 years ago, Mr. Chea Mony responded that first, he just wanted to visit Heng Pov with his conscience being a Khmer national, the same as he is himself. His plan was not related to the murder of Mr. Chea Vichea yet.

“It should be noted that since Heng Pov was arrested in 2007, he had been accused and convicted for many murders and kidnappings. Heng Pov is now 50 years old, and he was convicted for at least 60 years in prison. This does not include the possible future convictions for some other cases that have not yet been solved by the court.”

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.17, #4954, 24.7.2009
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Friday, 24 July 2009