Two weeks before he and his 21-year-old son were shot dead, Cambodian journalist Khim Sambo reported on a not-uncommon topic in opposition-affiliated newspapers. When gamblers from the upper echelons of the ruling Cambodia People's Party (CPP), accompanied by armed bodyguards or police, have prolonged losing streaks, it sometimes erupts in anger and even violence.
'When they lose, and cannot borrow more from the casino, they arrest the casino owners,' he wrote under one of his numerous pseudonyms, Srey Ka, in the June 28-29 weekend edition of the daily Khmer Conscience, which is affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP).
However, Khim Sambo - whose own anger needed to be 'toned down', according to a former colleague - went further than most, mocking the behaviour of a senior police officer described by many as 'one of the most dangerous men in Cambodia'.
He reported on an incident that allegedly occurred - SRP newspapers are often accused of fabrication or exaggeration - on June 25 at a casino complex at a border crossing with Vietnam in the town of Bavat in Svay Rieng province.
After losing his shirt at Le Macau Casino and Hotel, the officer borrowed from the casino, lost that, borrowed more - and lost again. When the casino manager refused to lend any more, he had him arrested by the junior officers accompanying him, Khim Sambo reported.
He went further, describing how the officer stacked the deck: 'When he loses US$100,000, the casino returns US$50,000. But he plays until losing the returned money, and demands to borrow more. If any casino owner dares to say 'no', he threatens to arrest him.'