Kem Ley

Kem Ley (; 19 October 1970 – 10 July 2016) was a Cambodian activist, physician, and political commentator. He is the third notable activist to be killed in recent years, after union leader Chea Vichea in 2004, and environmental activist Chut Wutty in 2012.

Political commentary Kem Ley was in the midst of his “100 days with Khmer Families” campaign in which he spent time staying with the rural families to dig even more deeply to find out the root causes of the many issues facing Cambodia today. He was also writing a series on his Facebook Page. The three known works he was working on include a 90-episode series of political articles which he called comedy series. He had just finished his 19th episode before his assassination; briefings of new findings during his 100-day campaign, and another story he named the “Black Man in a White Shirt”. Just a few days before his assassination, Kem Ley was approached by many local and international reporters to ask for his comments on the Global Witness report attacking Hun Sen’s family. The report was named, “Hostile Takeover: The Corporate Empire of Cambodia’s Ruling Family.”

In June 2015, he founded his own political party, the Grassroots Democracy Party.

Personal life Ley was survived by his wife Bou Rachana, four sons, and one unborn child. His family fled Cambodia in August 2016 to an undisclosed location.

Assassination and aftermath

Ley was shot on the morning of 10 July 2016 in a Star Mart café at a Caltex gas station in Phnom Penh. His death came days after he had criticized Hun Sen's family following the release of the Global Witness report which valued the premier's family at a minimum of US$200 million. A suspect was arrested, who later confessed to the crime. His body was draped in the Cambodian flag, and was taken to Wat Chas pagoda at Chroy Changva district. His death was met with both domestic and international condemnations. The U.S. Department of State was "deeply concerned" by Ley's murder, and called for a full investigation. Similarly, the United Nations also urged authorities to investigate. The British ambassador to Cambodia Bill Longhurst called his death "a serious loss to Cambodia." Prime Minister Hun Sen condemned the murder, and urged for a full investigation. He was laid to rest the following day on 25 July.

Legacy In July 2026, marking the tenth anniversary of Kem Ley's assassination, a comprehensive digital archive of his work was launched by the Cambodian diaspora in Australia. The preservation effort was initiated on the day of his death by his friends to ensure Ley's research remained accessible to the public.

Hosted online at kemley.work, the archive contains over 71,000 files comprising his speeches, handwritten notes, and research documents. The 2026 release made public several of Ley's previously unpublished writings, most notably his 2016 "Country Road Map," which outlined his vision for state reform and his analysis of the 2017 commune elections.