Touch Sreynich

On October 21st, 2003, Tuch Sonich, a well-known Cambodian singer, along with her mother was gunned down by an unidentified gunman as they were walking out from a store. The incident left her mother dead at the spot and Tuch Sonich herself critically wounded. This is one of the series of violence that had taken place right after the general election.

Witness said that Tuch Sonich was shot in the face and the neck which could possibly end her career as a singer. Apparently, the gunmans intension was to kill Tuch Sonich but she survived the attempt. The reason for this had a lot to do with her mother who was probably shielding her daughter from the gunshots. Tuch Sonich was rushed to the hospital and later on flown out of the country to Bangkok for life-saving operation. Sources close to her revealed that after a few days in the hospital she became conscious and was able to recognize her own father. As of now, she is still under intensive care in Thailand.

Tuch Sonich’s Profile
Year Born: 1980
Birth Place: Phnom Penh
Status: Single
Hobby: Listening to music
Ideal Place: Any quiet place
Ideal Man: Good manner, nice, have a good profession, and easy to get along with
Career Goal: Becoming a professor.

The law enforcement in Cambodia promised to hunt down the perpetrator, but with no leads and the fact that the country is in a state where high ranking government officials are out of reach from the law, catching the gunman will be less likely to happen.

This is not the first time that such a cruel violence is being unleashed on a well-known Cambodian entertainer. On July 6th, 1999, Piseth Pilika, a famous Cambodian actress and classical dancer, was gunned down in the same fashion in broad daylight. According to a French magazine called LExpress, there were strong evidences that this killing was related to the wife of the current Prime Minister of Cambodia. Not long after that incident, another actress named, Tet Marineth, was being assaulted with acid apparently by a jealous wife of a high government official. The corrosiveness of the acid left the skin of her face and body damaged like that of a burned victim.

The motive of why Tuch Sonich was targeted for the killing resembled that of Piseth Pilika and Tet Marineth. It seemed as though another jealous wife plotted this killing. However, recent evidences revealed that this shooting could be politically related, at least theoretically. Prince Norodom Ranarith, the leader of the Funcenpec party which is one of the three major parties in Cambodia, claimed that before the shooting, Tuch Sonich was singing songs supportive of the Funcenpec party. This act could possibly enrage the party in power, the Cambodian People Party (CPP) under the current Prime Minister, Hun Sen. These are just speculations. The true is still under investigation.

Politically related violence is common in Cambodia. Just a few days before Tuch Sonich was shot, the president of an opposition newspaper was shot as well. Authority claimed that it was a result of a robbery. In fact, a person has confessed to this crime. But again, a country with corrupted officials anything can happen.

Tuch Sonich was considered one of the top Cambodian female singers, only second to Meng Keo Pichetta. She became a well-known singer in 1993 after winning a national singing contest. Recently, she had finished her education and became a professor of Khmer Literature. She is by far the most educated among the women in the entertaining profession.

Source: NOkor KHmer

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A rumor had spread all over Cambodia recently that Touch Srey Nich who was shot in 2003 had died. Kohsantepheapdaily had released an article to clear up the rumor. Mr. Nop Chandara of Khosantepheapdaily reported from Long Beach, CA USA on May 8, 2007 that the rumor was not true.

Mr. Nop, Chandara said he had received a lot of e-mail from Cambodians living in Cambodia, asking him about the unfortunate news. He said that Touch Srey Nich now lives in USA as a legal permanent resident. He had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Pong Kith who is her neighbor and also helped her to get into the USA on Monday May 7, 2007. Mr. Pong Kith told Mr. Nop, Chandara that he always visited her and her father. He actually just talked to her father via telephone today.

Mr. Pong Kith said Touch Srey Nich is healthy and studies English at home. He also said she hoped one day she would be able to go to a college for her education. She is attended by a visiting nurse. She is on a diet program and monitored by a nutritionist because of her weight problem due to her inactivity.

The latest news that I receive from magazine released an article about Touch Srey Nich’s weight problem and that she weighed almost 130 kilograms which was considered overweight. Angkorthom Magazine also reported that Touch Srey Nich could move around with a wheelchair. She had been invited to sing for a Student Association event in Utah State and awarded $5,000USD.