"Six face trial in Sihanoukville building collaps", 27 June 2020

The Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court … tried four Chinese nationals, and one Vietnamese and Cambodian who were involved in a building collapse in Preah Sihanouk Province that killed 28 and injured 26 … last year…

Six people were charged in the days after the deadly incident, among them four Chinese nationals, who have been awaiting trial in provincial prison, and one Cambodian and one Vietnamese national, who are on the run and will be tried in absentia…

Puth Theavy, a lawyer for Deng Xing Gui, 49, said the court had charged his client with two counts, unintentional killing and unintentional injury by the court…

Nhor Nhen, a lawyer for the other two Chinese nationals, Cheng Kun, 40, and Xe Ya Ping, 44, said that he had provided exculpatory evidence to the court during the hearing, but he would not comment further as a verdict has yet to be announced…

Saing Vannak, a lawyer for the 54 who were injured or died in the building collapse, said that there were six lawyers on the defense team, but none of the victims were present.

… Sreng Vanly, a coordinator for human right group Licadho in Preah Sihanouk province who attended the hearing, said that although none of the victims were present, their lawyers and the court had proceeded according to the law…

Sok Kin, president of the Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia, said that he did not know specifically the procedures between the victims and their lawyers, or whether or not those affected by the building collapse had signed over their rights to their attorneys…