A prominent Cambodian political analyst known for his trenchant criticism of the government was shot dead Sunday morning at a convenience store, police said. The daylight slaying of Kem Ley comes at a time of heightened political tensions between strongman premier Hun Sen and the country's political opposition, who accuse the prime minister of launching a fresh crackdown against them.
Police said Kem Lay, a popular commentator and grassroots campaigner, was gunned down as he drank coffee at a convenience store attached to a gas station in the capital Phnom Penh. "He was shot dead at a mart just before 9am," Kirt Chantharith, national police spokesman, told AFP.
A suspect was arrested nearby and confessed to killing the analyst over an unpaid debt, Kirt Chantharith said. "But we don't believe him yet. We are working on this case," he added. Cambodia has a long a tragic history of rights and labour advocates being murdered with their killers rarely brought to justice.