A Canadian filmmaker and former journalist disappeared on Feb. 14 in Cambodia; he hasn’t been seen since.
Dave Walker, of Edmonton, reportedly stepped out of his guesthouse in northwestern Cambodia so it could be cleaned, leaving behind his phone, computer, passport and belongings.
His friends and colleagues said they are deeply concerned about his well-being.
“I don’t think he went anywhere by himself. I think something is wrong. I don’t think he would just leave, with his phone on the charger, and go somewhere,” Walker’s business partner Sonny Chhoun said to local a newspaper.
“This is very unnatural for Dave. I know him very well.”
On Tuesday, Southeast Asia’s largest press club issued an open letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, urging him to ensure local police and military are doing everything they can to move the investigation forward.
The letter from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) raised concerns that Walker’s disappearance might be related to investigative work he was doing on Khmer Rouge, Cambodia’s ruling party in the 1970s.
The letter also speculated that Walker could have been abducted for ransom.
“We recognize that as prime minister you have many other matters to concern you. We would, however, request that you take a few moments to satisfy yourself personally that all Cambodian police, military and intelligence resources are being adequately mobilized to take this investigation forward, and also that every effort has been made to tap outside assistance that might be helpful in resolving the case.”
Last week, police in Cambodia said they were worried about Walker’s safety, adding that their investigation has turned up no clues into where Walker may have gone.
READ MORE: Cambodian police worried about missing Canadian filmmaker
Representatives from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists have also called on Cambodian authorities to “leave no stone unturned in their investigation.”
Walker had been living in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province for two years. He is the co-founder of local film production company, Animist Farm Films.
In a post on the company’s website, Walker’s friends and colleagues are urging anyone with information about Walker’s disappearance to contact them or officials involved in the investigation. They said, despite rumours and theories circulating about Walker’s disappearance, there have been no leads.
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