PHNOM PENH (dpa-AFX) - Police in Phnom Penh on Wednesday arrested an activist attempting to commemorate the murder of Kem Ley, a political analyst gunned down in the Cambodian capital four years ago this week.
Cambodian rights group Licadho said the activist, wearing a T-shirt with Kem Ley's face on it, was seized by officers as he arrived at a memorial at the scene of the murder, a Caltex petrol station.
Security personnel and police officers also formed a chain to block monks and activists from praying at the site. The group was forced to move 100 metres to a new location.
While the arrested activist was later released, the crackdown continues a trend of suppression of those seeking justice for the murdered analyst. Last year, authorities detained seven people over two days for trying to commemorate the murder, widely seen as a political assassination.
Ley, an analyst critical of the government, was shot point blank by a former soldier, Oeuth Ang, who was sentenced to life in prison 2017. Ang claimed the analyst owed him money, however relatives of both the killer and victim said the pair had never met.
The investigation and trial were marred by irregularities. Supporters and rights groups are still calling an independent investigation into the murder.
Copyright dpa
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