Reactions to Kem Ley's killing revealed in poetry, songs and artwork

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Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon and Vandy Muong

“With one dead Kem Ley, a million Kem Leys are created to bridge the cares of Cambodian people to their nation. Kem Ley’s words are already in Cambodians’ hearts,” reads a stanza of Dr Kem Ley by poet Chhun Chamnap.

While thousands of mourners have paid their respects at Phnom Penh’s Wat Chas pagoda where Ley’s body lies in state, Chamnap was just one of many moved to express their grief, pain, anger in other ways, including poetry, song and art.

Shared over 4,500 times on Facebook, Chamnap’s kakete form poem (in this case composed in stanzas of seven verses with four words to a verse) and accompanying a pen-drawn portrait of the beloved public figure slain nearly two weeks ago captures sadness and shock while paying tribute to Ley’s service to the nation.

read more http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/reactions-kem-leys-killing-revealed-poetry-songs-and-artwork