An arrow struck a member of the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) Monday night while Ya Yeng was conversing with friends, according to local officials.
Thboung Khumum’s communal chief believes that the incident was politically motivated. He tells VOA Khmer that, “Ya Yeng is a local barber, and he has never had any problems with anyone”. He says the problem occurred after the victim joined Cambodia’s opposition party.
Local mayor Sin Sithov, however, is not convinced that the incident was due to the victim’s political preferences.
Meanwhile, Cambodia Center for Human Rights (CCHR) investigator Chan Cheng says that the assault could have been stirred by politics, because of the country’s upcoming communal council election.