Pen Kunthea

Age: 33

January 1 2017

Wat Phnom docks, Phnom Penh

Pen Kunthea was mother of two children. Her earnings from a factory job were not enough, to care for them, especially for her severly disabled polio-afflicted five year old son. She left te factory and, after failing to make ends meet working in a bar in Phnom Penh, turned to prostitution

Pen Kunthea was among a group of about five prostituted women, who fled toward the Wat Phnom docks, while being chased by guards during a raid. Witnesses said Pen Kunthea slipped jumping from one boat to another, knocking her head on the way down into the water, at which point the guards left her to drown and threatened onlookers, who tried to help her. Pen Kuntheas body was found floating unter the Monivong bridge in the Tonle Bassac river on January 3.

Leakena, age 35, was one of the women with whom Pen Kunthea ran from the security guards. She said to a newspaper, that women like her and Kunthea frequently ran from security guards and police officers, to avoid paying the bribes required to avoid arrest.

Pen Meng Ky takes care after the two children since her sisters death. Following a 7-day funeral and mourning period, Meng Ky met with the district governor and accepted an offer of financial assistence, to provide $300 per month until Kuntheas five year old son turns 18. Pen Meng Ky said to a newspaper, that she accepted the money, despite describing it as „unjust to my sister“, because she needed to decide for her nephew. She could not afford the costs of filing a complaint, and did not trust that anything would come of it. Despite six opposition lawmakers calling for an independent investigation into the case, no commission has been set up

In March 2017 about 50 persons gathered in Memory of Pen Kunthea on Prea Sisowath Quay and placed lotus flowers in the river

Phnom Penh Post (January 1 2019)

Cambodia Daily (January 1 2019)

Phnom Penh Post (January 1 2019)

Pen Kunthea

Dead time and place

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