LICADHO is deeply concerned that authorities are seeking to arrest a Cambodian election observer because of an unsubstantiated and politically-motivated allegation of physical assault.

LICADHO believes that Chea Som Borun, an observer with the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC), is being targeted because he is the son of a Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) activist.

Police accuse Borun of assaulting a relative of a CPP-affiliated village chief on the night before the elections in his home village of Ta Kou, in Chrey Loas commune, Ponhea Leu district of Kandal. However, multiple witnesses interviewed by LICADHO say that the reverse is true - it was in fact the alleged victim who, while drunk, hit Borun.

“If Chea Som Borun is arrested, it will only further highlight the level of intimidation surrounding these elections and the continuing misuse of the courts for political reasons by the government,” said LICADHO director Naly Pilorge.

The incident occurred about 6.30pm on July 26 when Borun was at the house of a neighboring family who, because they are illiterate, had asked him to read their official election documents to them. Meanwhile, Phan Sophear, the nephew of village chief, was walking by the house and stopped when he saw Borun there.

According to witnesses, Phan Sophear, who was heavily drunk, demanded to know who the house occupants would vote for the following day and became argumentative at their reply. When Borun intervened, Sophear slapped him on the head. Borun responded by pushing away Sophear, who then grabbed him by the shoulders to wrestle him, and the two men fell to the ground.

Witnesses say neither men was injured and the incident was very minor. However, Sophear went to complain to his uncle the village chief, who phoned to senior CPP officials and the police. Within an hour, dozens of armed police and military police arrived on the scene and surrounded Borun’s house.

When Tol Prasart, an SRP reserve candidate for Kandal, came to the house to investigate, at the request of Borun’s father, he was unlawfully arrested and detained by police for the night.

Borun fled his village that night and has not returned home since. Armed police maintained a cordon around his house throughout the night, and on the following day - election day - they executed a court-issued search warrant on the house to look for “evidence and suspects”.

By this time, the police were claiming that Phan Sophear had been injured in the alleged assault by Borun and required hospital treatment - although witnesses told LICADHO that Sophear had walked away unhurt after the incident.

“Based on LICADHO’s investigation, it is clear that the police are twisting the facts of this case to make an accusation which is just not true,” said Naly Pilorge. “There is no credible evidence that Chea Som Borun committed any crime, and he must not be arrested simply because he is the son of an opposition party activist.”

LICADHO notes that Borun’s father, the SRP activist, last year assisted villagers to file a complaint against Phan Sophear’s uncle, the village chief, over the sale of land in the village.

“It seems that, as well as political reasons, there may also be a personal motivation for the physical assault case which is being fabricated against Chea Som Borun,” said Naly Pilorge.

For more information, please contact:
▪ Naly Pilorge, Director, 012-803-650
▪ Am Sam Ath, Monitoring Supervisor, 012-327-770

PDF: Download full statement in English - Download full statement in Khmer