Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Ley Funeral Committee to Defy Ban

Ley Funeral Committee to Defy Ban

Monks and people pray over Kem Ley's body before his funeral. KT/Chor Sokunthea
 Thursday, 13 October 2016

Organizers of the funeral committee for murdered political analyst Kem Ley have refused to back down from their wish to hold his 100-day ceremony at Wat Chas pagoda in Phnom Penh, despite notices from City Hall and the pagoda’s chief monk telling the group to find another place to hold the event.

The 100-day funeral ceremony – planned for October 14 to 17 – was due to be held at Wat Chas after weeks of back and forth between the funeral committee, City Hall and a variety of pagodas across Phnom Penh.

Organizers initially wanted to hold the ceremony in Wat Botum park, but City Hall refused to allow them to use the area.

The group then chose Wat Chas pagoda, as it was a place Mr. Ley attended on a frequent basis. But City Hall again refused to allow the committee to hold the event there and put pressure on the head monk to back City Hall’s pronouncement, telling local media outlets that the committee was attempting to turn the funeral into a protest against the government.

In a letter sent out on Monday, Wat Chas pagoda chief Venerable Meas Sakhorn said the pagoda could not hold the funeral ceremony and could not get involved in its planning out of a fear of retribution from City Hall.

“I am Wat Chas’ pagoda chief and I agree with the notice from the Phnom Penh City Hall administration which does not allow the pagoda to be a location to organize the ceremony,” the Venerable Sakhorn said.

“In case the committee or any individuals and groups still organize Dr. Kem Ley’s 100-day ceremony in the pagoda, the pagoda chief is not responsible and will let the authorities proceed with administrative measures.”

But the Venerable But Buntenh, a member of the funeral committee, said they would still advocate for the Chroy Changvar district pagoda to be used for the ceremony, despite the appeals from City Hall and the pagoda chief.

“Wat Chas pagoda is a suitable location for the ceremony because Kem Ley used to celebrate there,” he said.

Regardless of the place, Mr. Ley’s 100-day funeral ceremony will start in Phnom Penh and in Tram Kak district in Takeo province on Friday.

The government’s refusal to honor the murdered academic’s death and their de facto ban on any celebrations of his life other than the initial funeral ceremony – which was watched over by heavily armed soldiers and military units – have lent credence to claims by government critics that they were complicit in Mr. Ley’s murder.

Members of Mr. Ley’s family and the funeral committee have also tried to put a statue of him in a variety of locations across Phnom Penh, but have met stiff resistance from City Hall.

City Hall officials claim Mr. Ley did not do enough to warrant a statue and several army-backed groups protested against a potential statue placement in Freedom Park.

Mr. Ley’s wife, Bou Rachana, has not escaped government attention either. She gave birth to their fifth son last week, yet was summoned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning in the case around Mr. Ley’s murder only a day later.

Ms. Rachana fled the country with the couple’s four sons in August out of fears for her safety.

She slammed the government’s decision on Sunday and said she was disappointed in the city’s vehement opposition to their ceremony. But she implored Cambodians to turn out and celebrate her husband’s life.

“I am Bou Rachana and I would like to invite national and international citizens, excellences, intellectuals, students and youth from far away. I really regret that I can’t attend my husband’s 100-day funeral ceremony because I have just given birth and cannot travel long distances,” she said.

Phnom Penh City Hall spokesman Mean Chanyada could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Mr. Ley was shot twice while reading a newspaper at a Caltex gas station café in Phnom Penh on July 10. The alleged killer, Eurth Ang, was caught minutes after the shooting, but after nearly three months, little to no information about the motive behind the killing has been released by police.

Police have refused to release security camera footage from the Caltex station which shows the shooting, leading to claims of either government mismanagement of the case or government involvement in the assassination.

Many local and international groups and leaders – including opposition leader Sam Rainsy – have criticized the government for the slow pace of the investigation and called for an independent inquiry to be held in conjunction with a variety of groups outside the government to ensure transparency.

The government has dismissed these suggestions, telling reporters that the case was proceeding normally.

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