Gov’t: Threats Keeping Us From Funeral

Information Minister Khieu Kanharith has slammed those running the funeral arrangements for prominent researcher Kem Ley, one of whom is Mr. Ley’s grieving wife Bou Rachna, for “not allowing” government officials and National Assembly members to pay their respects. Thousands of people have attended funeral rites over the past week at Wat Chas pagoda in Chroy Changva, where Mr. Ley’s body is being held, so many that funeral organizers were forced to extend the ceremonies another week to allow more people to attend.

Mr. Kanharith said members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) wanted to mourn for the fierce government critic, but were not allowed to because of alleged “threats” by organizers. Mr. Ley, 46, was shot and killed on July 10 while at a gas station coffee shop in Phnom Penh. Many of his supporters have claimed his death is tied to his outspoken criticism of the government over the years and more recently his comments on a Global Witness report tying Prime Minister Hun Sen and his family to some of the country’s largest corporations.

In addition, many government critics have been killed in a similar fashion, including union leader Chea Vichea and environmentalist Chut Wutty. At the start of a working group meeting on the “Access to Information” draft law yesterday, Mr. Kanharith asked the crowd to stand in honor of Mr. Ley. Information Ministry spokesman Ouk Kimseng quoted Mr. Kanharith as saying: “So far, parliamentarians and government officials have been unable to go and mourn for Mr. Kem Ley because there were threats from small groups. It is a very big loss.”

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