PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
Canadian Government Complicit in Cambodian cover-up of Murder of Journalist Dave Walker.
Canada allows person of interest wanted for questioning in journalists murder to flee Cambodia
The family of murdered Canadian journalist Dave Walker is deeply disturbed by the ineffective, incompetent, and disinterested response by the Canadian government to the murder of Canadian journalist Dave Walker in Cambodia that has now become a case in which the Canadian government is effectively complicit in a cover up of the murder of a Canadian citizen.
False published reports quoting Cambodian government law enforcement officials saying the professional medical examination to determine the cause of Dave Walker's death has concluded that Walker "died of natural causes", "after an autopsy was performed", and that Walker died of a "heart attack" are patently false-intentional lies that the Canadian government is fully and indisputably aware are false.
Further, the Canadian government has been aware for more than two months that a named person of interest in Dave Walker's disappearance and now confirmed murder-another Canadian citizen-was living in Cambodia and that his Canadian passport had expired.
The Canadian embassy in Bangkok-who was in possession of his expired passport-was specifically informed in writing that this Canadian citizen and person of interest in Walker's disappearance was a flight risk and intended to flee Cambodia if he was issued a new, valid Canadian passport. Canada issued this suspect who was wanted for questioning by Cambodian law enforcement authorities a new Canadian valid passport. Two days ago, May 6, this suspect fled Cambodia.
Dave's family is aware, the Canadian government is not even aware that this suspect has fled on newly issued Canadian travel documents. Canadian authorities, including the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, the Edmonton Canada Police Department, the Canadian Foreign Office, and other Canadian federal authorities have repeatedly refused to even receive the information of the name of the suspect and details of the circumstances of his leaving Cambodia from the representatives of Walker's family.
The Canadian government knows precisely that the expert professional determination is that Dave Walker was murdered.
Dave Walker's family knows precisely that Dave Walker, a Canadian citizen, was murdered.
The Cambodian Government knows precisely that Walker was murdered.
That Dave Walker was murdered is the undisputed professional conclusion of every Walker family investigator, Canadian and Cambodian government representative, based on the the determination of the medical, forensic and pathology professionals who witnessed and examined the scene and analyzed the body of Dave Walker.
The fact that Walker was murdered is not in dispute.
Touch Malai, deputy chief of the Siem Reap provincial technical and scientific police unit was quoted as saying "After the autopsy, our doctors concluded that the victim died as a result of a heart attack and that we did not see any injuries caused by someone or evidence of any kind found on the body that would point to this being a murder."
These statements are false.
It is an embarrassment and a betrayal of Canadian citizens, and those who expect Canada to stand up for rule of law, for the government of Canada to continue to stand by, with apparent disinterest, incompetence, dishonesty, or impotence, doing nothing with clear knowledge that a Canadian citizen has been murdered and an official cover up of that murder is clearly being undertaken with the complicity of the federal Canadian government.
Here include some of the determinations by the professional medical exam conducted by a 7 member pathology and forensic team that examined Walker's body:
Walker was found facing face up on his back. The preliminary determination was that Walker's neck was broken. His hands were both tightly clenched in a fist like position grabbing at the ground. The medical professional pathology and forensic team specifically estimated that Walker was involved in a struggle during which he was alive for approximately five minutes.
These facts are in the possession of the Canadian government.
It is profoundly painful for Dave Walker's family to be burdened with making these details public to contest a clear attempt at an official cover up by some Cambodian government authorities because the Canadian government has refused to come forward and do its duty as a government to represent the interests of a murdered Canadian citizen.
The Canadian government is in full and indisputable possession of the fact that Walker was murdered. These are only some among many more facts of which the Canadian government is specifically fully in possession and knowledge of.
The Cambodian authorities are claiming there has been an autopsy performed and Walker died of natural causes and there is no evidence he was murdered are lying. This is a lie. The Canadian government is in full possession and knowledge this is a lie.
In truth, Cambodian government authorities specifically refused the request of the 7 member independent team of forensic examiners and medical pathologists that an autopsy be performed on Walker. The representative of the Canadian government was present and fully informed of this professional medical recommendation.
The Canadian government exactly know this to be true.
For 48 hours since the public official cover-up into Walker's murder began, the Canadian government has remained silent and become complicit in the intentional cover-up of the murder of a Canadian citizen.
Instead, the Canadian government has responded to this cover-up by pulling every single official Canadian government representative from Cambodia back to Bangkok, leaving Walker's body unrefrigerated in a rural Cambodian medical facility and now under the authority of the Cambodian government who are falsely misrepresenting the professional medical and forensic examinations which unambiguously concluded that Walker was murdered, the details and documents of which the Canadian government are in full possession and knowledge of.
If the Canadian government does not refute these false statements suggesting the cause of Walker's death was a natural death caused by a heart attack concluded after an autopsy was performed-all fully documented as false- the family of Dave Walker will release the same documents and information of which the government of Canada is in possession.
The family of Dave Walker demand the the Canadian government immediately dispatch the Royal Canadian Mounted Police representatives based in Bangkok Thailand to Cambodia, to use the law enforcement capabilities and resources the RCMP has and use the full diplomatic resources and political authority of the Ottawa government.
It is far overdue that Canada demonstrate the political will of Canada to now, for the first time, to begin an investigation into Walker's death, and publicly declare they will not be complicit in the cover up of the murder of a Canadian citizen.
No autopsy has been performed on Dave Walker. Dave Walker did not die of natural causes. Dave Walker did not die as a result of a heart attack. Dave Walker was murdered. These are the indisputable facts and determinations of all professional, medical, law enforcement, and eyewitness's of the body and facts and circumstances surrounding Walker's death.
These knowingly false statements are being made in the name of the government of Cambodia. The Canadian government knows precisely that the expert professional determination is that Dave Walker was murdered. Dave Walker's family knows precisely that Dave Walker, a Canadian citizen, was murdered. That Dave Walker was murdered is the undisputed professional conclusion of every investigator, Canadian and Cambodian government representative, and medical professional who witnessed and examined the scene and analyzed the body of Dave Walker. The fact that Walker was murdered is not in dispute.
The Canadian government is specifically aware of the conclusion and professional opinion that Dave Walker was murdered. A representative of the Canadian embassy in Bangkok, Mélanie Lévesque, First Secretary (Management) and Consul section, was present during these formal preliminary conclusions on May 4, 2014. Also present were the official representatives of Dave Walker's family, representatives of the Cambodian government and law enforcement, and the medical team from the Thai Ministry of Justice.
The family of Dave Walker and his colleagues and many friends demand that the government of Canada immediately publicly acknowledge the truth, of which they have the full, documented evidence in their possession, that Dave Walker was murdered.
It is well past time that the government of Canada begin a formal law enforcement investigation, using the full authority, resources, and technical capabilities of the Canadian government to demonstrate that the murder of a Canadian citizen is a matter of priority and concern
Dave Walker's family, journalist colleagues, and many friends worldwide demand that the Canadian government immediately begin a formal criminal investigation into what the Canadian government now knows, unambiguously and without any dispute, was the death caused by murder of Walker, a Canadian citizen.
Dave Walker's family demand the Canadian government cease collaborating with the official cover-up and interference in the murder investigation of a Canadian citizen.
If the government of Canada refuses immediately to refute publicly the official indisputably intentionally false statements of some Cambodian law enforcement and government officials that Dave died of natural causes as determined by autopsy, the government of Canada will knowingly be complicit in an official cover up of the murder of a Canadian citizen.
Dave Walker's family demand that Canada immediately publicly declare that these statements are false.
If the Canadian government does not, Dave Walker's family demands the Canadian government publicly release the documents and the information obtained during interviews with the medical professional forensic team and their unambiguous professional determinations and the recommendations of the expert team who conducted the examination to determine the cause and circumstances of Walker's death to show otherwise.
The Canadian government chose to react by leaving Cambodia for the Canadian embassy in neighboring Thailand, and leaving the body of Canadian citizen Walker under the sole control of Cambodian authorities who are now publicly on the record making statements which can only be called a cover up in the murder of a Canadian citizen.
Murdered Canadian citizen and journalist Dave Walker, his family, journalist colleagues, and many friends around the world deserve and will receive the truth of how he died, the exact circumstances of his death, and those responsible for his murder will be brought to justice.
We, the family and friends of Dave Walker promise that will happen, with or without the support of the Canadian government.
The Canadian government knows precisely who are the suspects, based on court admissible evidence, into Dave Walker's murder. The Canadian government has refused to even cooperate with Cambodian law enforcement or private investigators who have repeatedly attempted to simply pass on the facts of their investigation to the Canadian government.
The Canadian government's performance to date is an embarrassment and an insult to the free society based on an independent judiciary and justice free from political interference of which the citizens of Canada proudly demand and represent to the rest of the world.
Our murdered loved one Dave, as a Canadian citizen, and our murdered colleague Dave as a journalist will receive the justice of truth of how and why he died and who was responsible for his murder. Both Canada and Cambodia should have no doubt about that. So far the Canadian government has done nothing to indicate they believe this is important. It is past time for this to change.
We demand the Canadian government begin now, for the first time, to demonstrate they believe the murder of a Canadian citizen and journalist is important and take full control over the investigation to determine the cause and circumstances and responsibility for the murder of Dave Walker.
Tammy Madon
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
(Tammy Madon is Dave Walker's official next of kin who was appointed by Dave Walker as executor of his estate and given power of attorney over his affairs and is recognized as such by the government of Canada)
Please respect the need of Dave Walkers family for privacy during this time. Other than direct cooperation with the Canadian authorities, she will have no further public comments until the appropriate time.
For any inquiries please contact:
thefamilyofdavewalker@gmail.com ■