CamNews: Anniversary of Chea Vichea Murder

The third anniversary of the murder of beloved union organizer Chea Vichea has come and gone. From here in America, the only real symptom was that the Sam Rainsy Party seems to have coordinated a massive effort of email spam with this date, as my inbox suddenly started filling up with all sorts of stuff from them, some of which was related to the murder, much of it not.

The issue has not really changed. Two convicted men are in jail for the murder, and no one but the prosecutor seems to believe they are the guilty parties. The FTUWK, the SRP, and just about everyone else with an institutional voice wants them released and the case reopened, but everyone outside of such institutions seems convinced that the case really is finished – justice, if it is to be found, will not happen in the Cambodian courts. That’s not to say that average folks disapprove of calls for justice, just that they don’t honestly expect anything to come of them. Some links:

Commemoration of Third Anniversary of Chea Vichea’s Death

Chea Mony, Chea Vichea’s brother: “I also accuse the government of being involved in my brother’s killing”

SRP Mourns Death of Chea Vichea, Calls For Independent Investigation of His Murder

Union Workers Will March To Honor Chea Vichea

And, in a bit of unrelated news showing the sorry state of labor protections in Cambodia, check out:

Men Arrested for Taking Part in Sit-Down Protest