18 Years On, No Justice for Victims in 1997 Grenade Attack

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 4:08 pm

Sam Rainsy: After 18 years, the court still couldn’t bring justice to victims of grenade attack in 1997

Phnom Penh: According to Dap News, The head of Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Sam Rainsy said, it has been already 18 years, but the court in Cambodia still couldn’t find and arrest the attacker and bring justice to the victim in the grenade attack in front of old Parliament House back in 1997.

Speaking in a religious ceremony on 04 October 2015, which was held to dedicate to people who lost their lives in the event, he said, the democracy is based on peace and justice.

It has been already 18 years and they haven’t received justice yet. The attacker has not yet been identified and sent to court. If we depend on the current court, we will never ever find the attacker, because they have no desire to unfold this mystery in order to bring justice to victims and their families.

He added, If we all love justice and want to bring justice to victims and make sure that there will be no such cruel attacks where innocent people were shot to death and attacker remained free, ever happen again in the future, we need to reorder, reorganize and restructure our country. Today, one thing I wanted to talk is restructuring the legal and court system in Cambodia. We need to make an independent court which is capable to find the truth and have desire to bring justice to victim.

Note, the grenade attack in front of old parliament house took place on 30 March 1997 claimed 19 lives and injured more than 100.

Engrish:

Spoiler:

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Sun Oct 04, 2015 5:50 pm

The problem with an independent justice system is exactly that, it would be "independent". Not sure that would suit the current way of doing things.
It will be no surprise if this case is never resolved, unfortunately.

John Bingham · Post by **John Bingham** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 12:10 am

They never will receive "justice". They were idiots for rocking the boat so hard and trying to secretly get into an alliance with Pol Pot while the country was in such a fragile state. I'm not condoning the attack, it was very nasty, but they knew what the stakes were and paid dearly. Don't forget that these people were rabble-rousing and sending their mobs off to murder innocent ethnic minorities at this time. They learned the hard way that they couldn't do that.

juansweetpotato · Post by **juansweetpotato** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:31 am

it has been already 18 years, but the court in Cambodia still couldn’t find and arrest the attacker and bring justice to the victim in the grenade attack in front of old Parliament House back in 1997

Interesting that they don't quote anything about the US investigation in these reports. HE did it, we all know it. Bringing him to justice when the judiciary are run by him? The time to ask that question again is when HE loses power. And one of the very reasons why he will never relinquish it willingly. Well not without a lot of back-room discussions and deals.

Bingham is right of course, they are all as brutal as each other given the chance. The stripping of the SRP politician's legs to the bone while still alive could well have been the other way round given the right circumstances.

takeoman · Post by **takeoman** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 12:03 pm

juansweetpotato wrote:
it has been already 18 years, but the court in Cambodia still couldn’t find and arrest the attacker and bring justice to the victim in the grenade attack in front of old Parliament House back in 1997
Interesting that they don't quote anything about the US investigation in these reports. HE did it, we all know it. Bringing him to justice when the judiciary are run by him? The time to ask that question again is when HE loses power. And one of the very reasons why he will never relinquish it willingly. Well not without a lot of back-room discussions and deals.

Bingham is right of course, they are all as brutal as each other given the chance. The stripping of the SRP politician's legs to the bone while still alive could well have been the other way round given the right circumstances.

Don't think Rainsy would want anyone reminded of his interference in the FBI investigation, especially the threat he made to special agent Tom Nicoletti: "You'd better be careful. You might become a target of violence."