PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Cambodia's Appeals Court has upheld the conviction of a former politician who shot and wounded three garment workers in 2012.
Chhouk Bandith, former governor of Bavet town in southeastern Cambodia, has been on the run for months. A provincial court convicted him in absentia in June for the shooting at a factory protest.
Monday's ruling upheld Bandith's 18-month prison sentence for causing "unintentional injury." Judge Taing Sun Lay renewed calls for police to track him down.
Human rights groups say the failure to arrest Bandith and the light sentence demonstrate a culture of impunity for Cambodia's political elite.
Bandith's June conviction followed more than a year of stalling after the February 2012 attack, with charges dropped at one point only to be restored amid an outcry from rights groups.
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