Stung Treng men accused of killing younger brother

Police in Stung Treng province said yesterday they will send two brothers to court today on charges that they murdered their younger brother.

Following a drunken argument, the two older brothers of the Sesan district family, farmers Lob Chansaboth, 48, and Lob Chansokha, 47, stabbed their sibling, Lob Sibunna, 38, in the face with a knife, killing him instantly, said Duong Sivutha, director of the penal crime police office in Stung Treng.

The stabbing occurred at the house of Chansaboth, one of the suspects, after the wife of Sibunna, the victim, scolded her husband for drinking. Sibunna flew into a rage and attempted to stab his wife with a knife but was stopped by his brother, Sivutha said.  

A scuffle ensued, during which Chansaboth called for help to his other brother, Chansokha, who lived in a house nearby. Chansokha grabbed a knife from his home and ran to Chansaboth’s house. 

When Chansokha arrived, Sibunna punched him in the forehead, leading Chansokha to stab Sibunna through the jaw with a knife, killing him instantly, while Chansaboth held Sibunna, Sivutha said.   

Sivutha added that the two suspects confessed to police that they had killed their brother and expressed regret about their drunken action. 

“Police charged the two suspects with intentional murder and we will send them to the court for official charges tomorrow,” he said. 

Yong Kim Eng, director of the People’s Center for Development and Peace, said that alcohol is a major threat to social harmony and often causes disputes and violence. 

He noted that there had been several recent cases of alcohol-induced violence and added: “Social morality has declined among young people, and now these incidents are even occurring among older people.”