- Country/Topic: Cambodia
- Date: 30 June 2006
- Source: Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)
- Person(s): You Saravuth
- Target(s): editor(s)
- Type(s) of violation(s): death threat , legal action
- Urgency: Flash
(SEAPA/IFEX) - The editor-in-chief of a local bi-weekly newspaper, "Sralanh Khmer" ("Love Khmer"), has received death threats from and is the target of a legal action by a nephew of Prime Minister Hun Sen, reports coming out Phnom Penh say. The editor reportedly is being harassed for a published article which suggests that Sen's nephew, Hun Tho, was involved in a land-grabbing case in Northeast Mondolkiri province.
Cambodian human rights group Alliance for Free Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) says "Sralanh Khmer" editor You Saravuth has gone into hiding after receiving several threats over the telephone from Tho. This supposedly comes on top of a meeting between the two, in which Tho allegedly threatened to send military police to monitor the journalist's movements.
AFEC said Saravuth's lawyer, Chet Sarath, filed a complaint on 26 June 2006 with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court over the threatening phone calls. But a local newspaper, "Rasmey Kampuchea," quoted Tho as saying that he only invited Saravuth to his house to see evidence of the land grabbing he was accused of.
On June 23, "Sralanh Khmer" issued a statement alleging that Hun Tho and another person threatened to kill the editor of the newspaper. The statement cited the meeting at Tho's residence and an anonymous fax to Saravuth containing his photograph marked with an "X".
On that same day, Tho's lawyer reportedly filed a lawsuit against Saravuth for "misinformation".
In the June 15-17 edition of "Saralanh Khmer", a story quoted unnamed sources close to officials in the National Land Dispute Committee as saying that Tho, who is the son of the prime minister's brother, Hun Neng, and Kun Kim, who is deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, illegally appropriated thousands of hectares of land in Mondolkiri province.
The article said land-grabbing was a widespread issue in province, and criticised Sen's failure to follow through on promises to put a stop to the problem. The story also challenged the prime minister to punish any of his relatives implicated in the matter.
Despite a relatively free media environment, Cambodian journalists still face lawsuits and death threats over reports attempting to investigate widespread corruption and favoritism in government. Land grabs allegedly perpetrated or tolerated by government officials, the Khmer Rouge, and issues surrounding the Cambodia-Vietnam border demarcation, are among the most sensitive issues for the government.
MORE INFORMATION:
For further information, contact Kulachada Chaipipat at SEAPA, 538/1 Samsen Road, Dusit, Bangkok, 10300 Thailand, tel/fax: +662 243 5579, e-mail: seapa@seapabkk.org, Internet: http://www.seapabkk.org
Cambodian human rights group Alliance for Free Expression in Cambodia (AFEC) says "Sralanh Khmer" editor You Saravuth has gone into hiding after receiving several threats over the telephone from Tho. This supposedly comes on top of a meeting between the two, in which Tho allegedly threatened to send military police to monitor the journalist's movements.
AFEC said Saravuth's lawyer, Chet Sarath, filed a complaint on 26 June 2006 with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court over the threatening phone calls. But a local newspaper, "Rasmey Kampuchea," quoted Tho as saying that he only invited Saravuth to his house to see evidence of the land grabbing he was accused of.
On June 23, "Sralanh Khmer" issued a statement alleging that Hun Tho and another person threatened to kill the editor of the newspaper. The statement cited the meeting at Tho's residence and an anonymous fax to Saravuth containing his photograph marked with an "X".
On that same day, Tho's lawyer reportedly filed a lawsuit against Saravuth for "misinformation".
In the June 15-17 edition of "Saralanh Khmer", a story quoted unnamed sources close to officials in the National Land Dispute Committee as saying that Tho, who is the son of the prime minister's brother, Hun Neng, and Kun Kim, who is deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, illegally appropriated thousands of hectares of land in Mondolkiri province.
The article said land-grabbing was a widespread issue in province, and criticised Sen's failure to follow through on promises to put a stop to the problem. The story also challenged the prime minister to punish any of his relatives implicated in the matter.
Despite a relatively free media environment, Cambodian journalists still face lawsuits and death threats over reports attempting to investigate widespread corruption and favoritism in government. Land grabs allegedly perpetrated or tolerated by government officials, the Khmer Rouge, and issues surrounding the Cambodia-Vietnam border demarcation, are among the most sensitive issues for the government.
MORE INFORMATION:
For further information, contact Kulachada Chaipipat at SEAPA, 538/1 Samsen Road, Dusit, Bangkok, 10300 Thailand, tel/fax: +662 243 5579, e-mail: seapa@seapabkk.org, Internet: http://www.seapabkk.org
3 comments:
This animal Hun To is a cold blood killer. He has killed so many people in the past just for a smal thing. He was the one who has raped Touch Sunnich. Now all foreign immigrations have banned him to go to their country except China( because of hun Sen relationship). I hope someone will take him out very soon. Go around and come around.
To a previous commenter, You may need to be carefull with your press, according to Touch Srey Nich. It is effect to her honoracy as she is a Cambodian Girl who always valaue and highly repecting a girl.
You need to have enaugh sources and evidence before you say anything about Cambodian Girls.
I am appriciate, if you understand that.
Hun To has doen may bad and sinfull thing to Cambodian. Those will comeback to him someday, may be the day that Hun Sen or HUN family out of power.
When the water down,
the ants eat the fish...
when the water up,
hun sen's family will be out of power!
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