The unsolved murder of Cambodia's most famous actress and the diary that shook power.

Art · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Pisith Pilika was a cultural icon, starring in hundreds of films and thousands of videos. Her 1999 assassination in a crowded market remains a mystery, but leaked diary entries suggesting an affair with the Prime Minister turned her death into a high-stakes political scandal that still haunts the nation today.

Born Oak Eap Pili in 1965, Pisith Pilika rose from the tragedy of losing her parents under the Khmer Rouge to become a celebrated Cambodian ballet dancer and actress. By the late 1990s, she was a household name, having performed across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Her career was cut short on 6 July 1999, when an unidentified gunman shot her in broad daylight at Phnom Penh's O'Russey Market. She died a week later, with her funeral drawing 10,000 mourners.

The case took a volatile turn in October 1999 when the French magazine L'Express published claims that Pilika’s personal diary detailed an illicit affair with Prime Minister Hun Sen. The magazine alleged that the Prime Minister's wife, Bun Rany, orchestrated the shooting out of jealousy. L'Express asserted that the diary had been verified through handwriting and fingerprint analysis and claimed to possess additional evidence, including business papers and personal items belonging to the Prime Minister. Bun Rany denied the allegations and threatened legal action, though no charges were ever filed against the publication.

The mystery deepened in 2003 with the publication of 'Piseth Pilika: A True and Horrible Story,' a book containing further extracts from the alleged diaries. The text described threats against the actress's life by a high-ranking official's wife. The book was quickly removed from shelves by police, an act that many observers interpreted as a state-led coverup. To this day, no suspects have been identified in the murder. Kek Galabru of the human rights group LICADHO has cited the lack of progress in the investigation as a stark example of the culture of impunity in Cambodia.

The enduring fascination with Pilika’s life and death is reflected in the numerous documentaries and books produced in the years following her passing. While the official investigation remains stalled, the narrative of the actress, the powerful politician, and the suppressed diary remains a potent symbol of the intersection between celebrity, political power, and the struggle for accountability in modern Cambodia.

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