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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 24 June 2024
Killing of young Cambodian couple by businessman with honorary

title revives concerns about impunity

By SOPHENG CHEANG tycoons who are consid- oni. At least two other Oh-
Associated Press ered cronies of the ruling kna holders had their titles
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia Cambodian People’s Par- revoked earlier this year in
(AP) — In a case that has ty, which has held power connection with alleged
sparked widespread public for almost four decades. cases of major fraud.
outrage, a court in Cambo- But there are about 1,300 Last week’s shooting was
dia formally charged a real title holders, most of whom, reported to have sprung
estate entrepreneur who like the suspect, are not from a dispute between
held a royally bestowed public figures. the victims and one of their
title with the premeditated Unofficially, the title is as- neighbors, who was a ten-
murder of a young couple sociated with impunity for ant in a property belong-
in the capital Phnom Penh. the rich, serving as a kind ing to the suspect. The ten-
Social media has been of preemptive get-out-of- ant, who is not charged
awash for the past week jail-free card or a way of with anything, was said by
with comments asserting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet poses for photo, in Hanoi, short-cutting government police to have called Srey
that the suspect is likely to Vietnam on Dec.11, 2023. Associated Press regulations. Sina to help her with the
get off because he is rich, Any cases involving blatant dispute, which police said
a common view about the Municipal Court, accord- could not be reached Sun- criminality — such as physi- involved matters including
Southeast Asian country’s ing to a statement issued day to learn if he has a law- cal attacks or drug traffick- a clothesline, a mango tree
justice system. The court Sunday by the Justice Min- yer. ing, for example — that and a parking space.
ruled Saturday. istry. It said the charges will The case attracted massive attract public interest risk A security camera video
The suspect, 50-year-old be prosecuted in two sep- attention not only because blowback for the govern- leaked to social media
Srey Sina, allegedly shot to arate proceedings, each of the seemingly unpro- ment, opening it up to at- over the weekend showed
death 27-year-old Long Ly- allowing a maximum sen- voked killing of a young, tacks from its opponents. the suspect gesture to Long
song and his 25-year-old fi- tence of 15 years imprison- soon-to-be married cou- In recognition of the politi- Lysong to come over to him
ancée Khim Kanhchana on ment. Cambodia does not ple and the petty dispute cal sensitivity, Prime Minister to a spot just out of camera
June 17 while intervening in have the death penalty. that sparked it, but also Hun Manet and members range, where he evidently
a dispute between neigh- Prosecutors said additional because the suspect held of his government were shoots him point blank. He
bors. Two other victims in charges could be lodged the title of Oknha, an hon- quick to issue condolences then moves back into view
their early 20s sustained mi- after further investigation. orific bestowed on business for the deaths and give as- with his pistol, as the other
nor injuries. The court ordered the sus- people who donate large surances that justice would victims scramble to hide
Srey Sina was also charged pect detained at Prey Sar sums of money to the gov- be vigorously pursued. underneath and behind ta-
with attempted murder prison. He has not been ernment. After his arrest, Srey Sina bles, but are pursued and
and illegal possession of a made available for com- The Oknha title is generally had his Oknha title revoked shot.q
firearm by the Phnom Penh ment and court officials associated with influential by King Norodom Siham-

Ivory Coast sets up mobile enrollment for a health coverage program

criticized over glitches

by HILAIRE ZON that are supposed to pro- pharmacy and I present-
Associated Press vide them with medicine ed the voucher, the phar-
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) are later not accepted macy said that no, this is
— Health authorities in Ivo- at pharmacies — requir- only for civil servants, that it
ry Coast launched mobile ing patients to pay out of won’t work for us individu-
enrollment centers for the pocket. als,” Agnissan said. “I went
country’s universal health The mobile enrollment to all the pharmacies, and
coverage program, which centers being rolled out at it didn’t work.”
has been criticized since its markets and remote neigh- Ultimately, he had to pay
2019 inception over difficul- borhoods are meant to al- for the medicine out of his
ties accessing benefits. low Ivorians to sign up for own pocket, he said.
Ivory Coast is one of a the program and provide Samuel Touffet, another lo-
handful countries in West them with cards on site so cal resident who came to
Africa that offers a univer- they can immediately start Residents line up in front of a mobile enrolment center from the the mobile center to get
sal health program. But, receiving care at hospitals, Ivory Coast health authorities in Abidjan Monday, June 10, 2024. updated on coverage un-
five years in, less than half clinics, and pharmacies der the program, echoed
its citizens have enrolled. around the country. Associated Press Agnissan’s concerns.
Known locally by its French From 2019 until this year, “There are so many phar-
acronym CMU, the pro- only 13 million people, or which worked well when in search of information macies where if we go
gram is meant to cover 40% of the population, we did the COVID-19 vac- about how to successfully with the card, it doesn’t
70% of citizens’ health care were able to enroll. cination, which was to go use it. work. So we want to know,
costs for a monthly charge The country’s Health Minis- to these people in the mar- He said that while his son where are the pharmacies
of 1,000 West African CFA ter, Pierre Dimba, said the kets, in remote neighbor- was being treated for ma- where we can go and use
francs, or about $1.65. mobile centers are aimed hoods, to get them signed laria at a hospital, the facil- the card?” he said. “Also,
However, many partici- at reaching people who up,” he said. ity ran out of medicine. He when we go to the hospi-
pants who have managed have been unable to sign Resident Bruno Agnissan was given a voucher and tal with the card, they say it
to enroll have reported up for reasons including already has a CMU card, told find the medicine at a doesn’t work. So we don’t
glitches, including that that they work long hours. but he came to an Abidjan local pharmacy. know what this card is even
vouchers given at hospitals “We used the method mobile enrollment center “When we went to the worth.”q