A Cambodian court docket has charged two Chinese language nationals with the torture and homicide of a South Korean social media influencer whose physique was discovered on the outskirts of Phnom Penh earlier this month.
Byun Ah-yeong, also called BJ Ahyeong, was an influencer for in style South Korean streaming service AfreecaTV, and that she had greater than 250,000 Instagram followers, Agence France-Presse reported. Media reviews say she was 33.
Two Chinese language, Lai Wenshao, 30, and Cai Huijuan, 39 had been charged with homicide, court docket spokesman Plang Sophal advised native media.
Lai and Cai testified that Byun had gone into seizures and died whereas receiving therapy at their clinic on June 4, they usually had deserted her physique, AFP mentioned, citing a police report.
If they’re convicted, they might face life in jail.
Lai and Cai’s clinic had been working with no license, Sok Sambath, the governor of Phnom Penh’s Boeung Keng Kang district, advised RFA’s Khmer Service.
“We shut the clinic down,” he mentioned, however declined to reply questions inquiring as to how they might have been allowed to open with no license, solely saying that that they had began earlier than he took workplace.
Police Chief Sar Thet advised RFA that in response to the police investigation, “the couple injected [something] right into a South Korean woman and he or she died.”
The incident could have occurred due to improperly administered anesthesia, Quach Mengly, a Cambodian doctor, advised RFA.
The Ministry of Well being hasn’t successfully taken motion in opposition to unlicensed medical clinics and this has triggered a number of affected person deaths as of late, Yong Kim Eng, president of the native PDP-Heart NGO, advised RFA.
He mentioned that the incident might scare off foreigners who wish to search medical therapy in Cambodia.
“[Cambodians] are [also] afraid of utilizing native clinics,” mentioned Yong Kim Eng. “They search therapy exterior of the nation, so we’re giving cash to international international locations.”
Soeung Sengkaruna, spokesman for the Cambodian Human Rights and Improvement Affiliation urged the authorities to conduct an intensive investigation to seek out the actual explanation for loss of life to revive public belief in Cambodia’s medical providers.
“The associated authorities and the ministry of well being want to analyze this case,” he mentioned. “We wish to discover out whether or not it was a malpractice or the suppliers’ lack of ability.”
Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.