User:Crtew/Thun Bun Ly

Thun Bun Ly, also known as Thun Bunly was a Cambodian print reporter for his paper Odom K’tek Khmer Udomkate Khmer in Phnom Penh on 18 May 1996. Ly was murdered in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and faced many charges for defamation and libel due to his papers opinion on Cambodian government officials.

Personal
Ly was born and lived in Cambodia. Ly had three wives and child.

According to Phnom Penh Post, police reports of complaints made by 15 year old girl’s parents who was in a beauty pageant, reports abduction, rape and sale into prostitution. The case never made it to court.

“If the press has to coddle the testicles [of the co-prime ministers] then the country will be completely ruined,” Ly said in a court hearing with regards to defamation charges in 1995, a year before his death. (According to Censorship: A World Encyclopedia)

Mak Remissa, a photographer, won third in a contest with a photo of Thun Bun Ly’s son weeping in front of his father’s casket.

Career
Censored May 19, 1995 due to claims of libel, defamation, and misinforming articles, 5 million riel (US$2,508) fine, 1 year prison sentence, suspension of paper until fine is paid. (CPJ Attacks on the Press 1995) Charged with violation of Articles 62 and 63 of the Criminal Code for the defamatory nature of political cartoons in Khmer Ideal depicting Cambodian leaders abusing power. Ly was fined 10 million riels (US$4,116) or 2 year prison sentence if fine was not paid.

Death
Death of Ly was May 18 1996. Ly was followed by two men on a motorbike, after a meeting with the Khmer National Party of Cambodia, while Ly was walking to work. One of these men were wearing the uniform of the government security. These men shot him twice in the chest and once in the left arm. . Ly died on the street, and was later taken to a temple by bystanders. The bullets were taken from his corpse by Phnom Penh police, leaving no evidence.

Investigation was authorized by the Royal Government of Cambodia later after the murder. . The murder of Ly took place before his appeals were used in the court of Cambodia concerning his charges of disinformation.

Ly’s death was one of five in the span of 1995 to 2001. Before his death, Ly made known his fear that he was being watched. (According to Amnesty International)

Context
The death of Thun Bun Ly occurred in tandem with the opening of The Khmer Ideal’s first office outside of the capital Phnom Penh. The Khmer Ideal, the paper that Bun Ly was reporting for, published many pieces criticizing the government. Sam Rainsy, an affiliate of The Khmer Ideal and president of the Khmer Nation Party at the time, believes the murder of Bun Ly to be an intimidation strategy put on by Cambodia’s government.

Human Rights Watch Asia said that the Cambodian government has stressed the silence of critics of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

Impact
The death of Thun Bun Ly has brought awareness to human rights causes and activists such as Thomas Hammarberg. Bun Ly’s death drew attention to deaths and violent attacks of journalists who have cases that have not yet been brought to trial.

Ly’s murder has been used to support the case for the extrajudicial killings of journalists in Cambodia by the Human Rights Watch.

As a result of his death, Ly’s funeral was used to show a public distaste of the Cambodian dictatorship publically.

Reactions
Sam Rainsy, president, Cambodia National Rescue Movement, said “ a very clear sign of intimidation.” Rainsey also said “They could not have chosen a better time to kill Bun Ly as the killing took place at the exact time we opened our first office outside the capital.”

Temporary URLs

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