Cambodia
26.04.13
Urgent Interventions

One year later, still no justice for environmental activist Chut Wutty!

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Geneva-Paris, April 26, 2013. One yearafterthe extrajudicial killingof prominent environmental and anti-logging activist Mr. Chut Wutty, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), in the framework ofthe Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, express theirdeep concern about the lack of significant progress in the investigation into hismurder.

On April 26, 2012, while accompanying two journalists to investigatealleged illegal logging and land grabs in Koh Kong province, Mr. Chut Wutty,Founder of the National Resources Protection Group (NRPG) in Mondol Seima district,Koh Kong province, was fatally shot in the leg and stomach as he triedto start his car, following a heated stand-off with military police andrepresentatives of logging company Timber Green. The alleged shooter, Mr. InRattana, a military police officer, was alsofound shot dead at the scene.

On October 4, 2012,Koh Kong Provincial Court declared the case closed after concluding that Mr.Chut Wutty was killed by Mr. In Rattana, who was in turn fatally shot by a loggingcompany’s security guard.

As of today, thecircumstances of Mr. Chut Wutty’s death still remain unclear.

“We stronglycondemn the prevailing impunity in Mr. Chut Wutty’s murder,and we urge the Cambodian authorities to finally establishthe full truth and bring to justice all those responsible”, said OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock today.

“The authorities of Cambodia shouldalso ensure in allcircumstances that defenders of economic,social and cultural rights are able to work without any fear of reprisals”, added FIDH PresidentSouhayr Belhassen.

The Observatory moregenerally urges the authorities of Cambodia to put an end to all acts ofharassment against human rights defenders and to conform to the United NationsDeclaration on Human Rights Defenders, the Universal Declaration of HumanRights and international human rights instruments ratified by Cambodia.

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