Documentary Probes Chea Vichea's Murder
By Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
10 August 2009
Born Samnang and Sok Samoeun have each tearfully denied involvement in the
murder for which they are blamed at every trial they've attended.
Facing 20-year prison sentences for the alleged killing of Chea Vichea, both
are widely considered innocent, and in January, the Supreme Court ordered them
released and has asked the Appeals Court to reexamine their case. But if it
wasn't them, then who was responsible for the death of the popular labor leader?
The question is asked but never answered in "Who Killed Chea Vichea?," a new
documentary from filmmaker Bradley Cox, screened in Rhode Island last week.
Cox's first film, "The Plastic Killers," examined the court case against Born
Samnang and Sok Samoeun, and his new film investigates the murder beyond the
suspects and puts more emphasis on the victim.
"I go into a lot of detail about the case of Chea Vichea and the death and the
murder of Chea Vichea, but I also expand on the theme of the movie, to use it
as an example of some of these problems [of corruption and impunity] that
continue to plague Cambodia," Cox said in an interview with VOA Khmer last week.
Rights groups have welcomed the film, claiming it sheds light on the innocence
of the two men and the shortage of independence within the court system.
"Evidence in the video will show better that neither of the accused were Chea
Vichea's killers in 2004," Om Samath, a rights investigator for Licadho who has
been following the case, told VOA Khmer last week. "This is a good thing that
will push the Appeals Court to seriously look into the case and hopefully be
able to bring the real killer for prosecution and give justice to the victims."
Chea Vichea, a former president of the Free Trade Union of Workers in the
Kingdom of Cambodia, held wide influence over garment factory workers and was
able to rally them in mass gatherings. He was gunned down in an
assassination-style on the morning of Jan. 22, 2004, while reading a newspaper
with friends at a newsstand near Wat Lanka.
Not long after, police arrested Born Samnang and Sok Samoeun. Both the Phnom
Penh Municipal Court and the Appeals Court sentenced them to 20 years in prison.
"I am only telling the truth," Sok Samoeun told VOA Khmer last week. "Once they
charged me, I knew nothing of the killing. I didn't know about the killing or
who died. I knew nothing."
Both men have been summoned to the Appeals Court later this month.
Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said the two
are out on bail and no decision has been made in their case. He was surprised
to learn the film had been released.
"Which one is the 'Who'?" he asked, in reference to the title of the film. "Who
did the film accuse?"
The film does not accuse anyone of the crime, but seeks to demonstrate that the
two men accused of it could not have done it.
"What I've done is show conclusively who didn't kill Chea Vichea," Cox said.
"It wasn't Born Samnang and Sok Sameoun. I think any reasonable person can make
their own conclusion. I don't make a hard and fast conclusion as to who pulled
the trigger. Personally, I don't think we'll ever know who really shot Chea
Vichea on that day."
The defendants, he said, do not have to prove in court who did the crime, he
added, "just prove they didn't do the killing themselves."
Finding the killer, "that's supposed to be the police's job," he said. And the
more important question remains, knowing who was behind the decision to have
Chea Vichea killed.
"Who Killed Chea Vichea?" includes interviews with police officers, judges,
senior politicians in the ruling and opposition parties and rights and civic
groups. It was filmed mainly in Cambodia, with other scenes in France, Holland,
Thailand, Belgium and the US.
It will be shown on television in the US, as well as in Europe and Asia, but
the filmmakers are not sure whether it will appear in Cambodia.
The recent screening, a little more than a week ahead of the Aug. 17 court day
for Born Samnang and Sok Samoeun, was a coincidence, Cox said, and was unlikely
to influence the court.
If the judge evaluates the case on its merits, "he would have to release Born
Samnang and Sok Samoeun, because they are innocent," Cox said. If there is
political pressure, the two may not be released.
"Either way I don't think my movie will have an effect on the judge," he said.
Meanwhile, the biggest question remains unanswered.
"Chea Vichea's killer is still far away," said his brother, Chea Mony, who now
heads the Free Trade Union. "We still don't have a clue. We are still waiting
for justice, and we have received not a single piece out of million."
More information on the film, including a preview, can be found at
www.whokilledcheavichea.com
WHO KILLED CHEA VICHEA? was filmed in Cambodia from 2003 to 2008. Additional
filming took place in Belgium, France, Finland, Netherlands, Thailand, the
United Kingdom and the United States.
WHO KILLED CHEA VICHEA? is a co-production of Loud Mouth Films Limited and the
Independent Television Service (ITVS) in association with WGBH, with funding
provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Expected release date in late 2009, with a total running time of approximately
56 minutes (television version) or 85 minutes (feature version). DVDs will be
be available in 2010.
The affiliated Chea Vichea Project accepts tax-deductible contributions through
its fiscal sponsor, Asia Catalyst, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
CREDITS
Director BRADLEY COX
Producers RICH GARELLA
JEFFREY SAUNDERS
Original Score by GIL TALMI
Editors WILL BARTON
TINA PACHECO
JAY SHAPIRO
MATYAS VERESS
Sound Edit and Design GIGANTIC STUDIOS
Graphics DAVE HILL
Post Production GOLDCREST POST (NYC)
Translators PENH SOPHOIN
JASON ROBERTS
THIDA ROBERTS
ELLEN SEA
TDW TRANSLATION SERVICES
Grants Coordinator CAROLINE LEOPOLD
Web Site Design AARRGGHH.COM
Web Site Music KEVIN MacLEOD
Executive in Charge
of WGBH Boston Media Productions DENISE DiIANNI
Director of Special Projects
for WGBH Boston Media Productions HILLARY WELLS
Executive Producer for ITVS SALLY JO FIFER
ADVISERS
Partial list; affiliations included for identification only
RON ABNEY
Vice President
Voices for Global Change
BRAD ADAMS
Executive Director, Asia Division
Human Rights Watch
SARA L.M. DAVIS, Ph.D
Executive Director
Asia Catalyst
ERIC PAPE
Reporter (Newsweek)
John S. Knight Fellow, Stanford University
CLAUDIA RIZZI
Producer (PBS Frontline, BBC, HBO)
APPRECIATIONS
Regina Abrami . Holly Angell . Peter Baker . Bill Barta . Christina Cantrill
. Kim Ly Chea . Andria Chin and Gary Crosse . CinemaCapital . Liam Cochrane .
Agnes Crane and John Watling . Brittis Edman / Amnesty International UK . John
Fego . Adam Feinstein . Christine Francis-Barta . Raj Gandesha / White & Case
LLP . Elena Garella . Ann Goulder . Tommy "Logik" Gonzalez . Edward and Erin
Lovett . Louis Massiah / Scribe Video Center . David McNally and Cynthia Pierce
. Marty Miller . Gloria Monge . Joe Monge . Michael Park . PostWorks New York .
Judith Queen . Paul Rayhorn . Adrian Ross . Grayson Ross . Sarah Trembath .
Cynthia Turner . Mike Villers . Susan Yund . and many Cambodian people we will
be able to list by name in better times to come.
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