Julio Jeldres (Left) with former King Norodom Sihanouk (Photo: BMD)Court finds official biographer of former Cambodian king guilty of defaming prime minister
By SOPHENG CHEANG
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - A judge on Friday found an official biographer of former King Norodom Sihanouk guilty of defaming Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for suggesting the country's leader used violence to silence his critics.
In delivering his verdict at a trial Friday, Judge Iv Kim Sree, of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, ordered Julio Jeldres, a Chilean-born Australian, to pay 10 million riel (US$2,410; euro1,894) in compensation to Hun Sen. He also ordered Jeldres to pay a fine of 8 million riel (US$1,928; euro1,515) to the government.
Jeldres, who founded the nonprofit Khmer Institute of Democracy in Cambodia, did not appear for the trial. His whereabouts were not immediately known.
In April last year, Hun Sen sued Jeldres after he was quoted in the April 7 edition of The Cambodia Daily, an English-language newspaper, as saying that, "As you know, every time Prime Minister Hun Sen makes a threat, someone gets killed or wounded by unknown gangsters."
The comments were apparently in response to criticism Hun Sen had leveled against Jeldres, a frequent government critic, in an earlier speech.
Ka Savouth, a lawyer for Hun Sen, said during the trial that Jeldres' comments have "severely damaged the dignity and reputation" of the prime minister.
He had demanded compensation of 30 million riel (US$7,230; euro5,682) for his client.
Jeldres' Cambodian lawyer, Mao Somvutheary, said that her client did make the comments in an e-mail to a friend but that they were never intended for publication in any newspaper.
She accused The Cambodia Daily of "theft" and said it should be held responsible for publishing the comments without direct permission from Jeldres, while asking the court to drop the case against her client.
Sok Roeun, the prosecutor, defended the newspaper, saying Jeldres is solely responsible for defaming Hun Sen because he was the one who made the comments, while Ka Savouth, Hun Sen's lawyer, said Jeldres' e-mail had already been widely distributed to other people before it was published by the newspaper.
Below is a letter written by Julio Jeldres to ARDA and friends when he was first intimidated by Hun Sen:
Excellencies, Dear Friends,
Please find attached an unofficial translation from the Khmer Youth newspaper of Phnom Penh, translation kindly done by a khmer friend of mine. The article reports on a speech given by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday 4th April during the inauguration of a pagoda at Stung Trang disctrict, province of Kompong Cham. During the speech the PM violently attacked His Majesty the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, myself and HRH Prince Sisowath Thomico (former Private Secretary to HM) in that order. He was very insulting towards His Majesty and he referred to Prince Thomico an I by using the word "Ah" in Khmer which is one of the most insulting words in Khmer. He also threatened to counter attack us. The Premier is angry, I am advised because of an Open Letter His Majesty the King-Father wrote last week to the governments and parliaments of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand concerning the shrinking borders of Cambodia. I translated that Open Letter into English.
The PM is also unhappy with me beacuse of a speech I gave in Kuala Lumpur in early March in which I drew attention to the corruption of his regime.
This morning, the private telephone line of the Director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy (KID), whose chairman I am, and the telephone lines and e-mail service of the Institute were cut suddenly and then restored at about 11:00 am.
At the same time the website of His Majesty the King-Father has been off the air for three days alreay and staff at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh who take care of the website have been told by "Online-Cambodia" who provides the service that it has been suspended.
As you know, every time Prime Minister Hun Sen makes a threat someone gets killed or wounded by unknown gangsters. I am indeed very concerned by the safety of my staff in Phnom Penh and I would be grateful if all of you in a position to do so can make some kind of representation to the PM and let him know that any "accident" that may occur to my staff at KID will have serious repercusions from the international community.
I am myself currently in ------- taking care of my father who is not well and do not plan to go back to Cambodia for sometime as His Majesty the King-Father has cancelled his return to Cambodia and will now remain in "voluntary exile" in China and North Korea.
As the situation in Cambodia becomes worse and worse, it is high time that the donor community takes some concrete measures to stop this new trend towards dictatorship.
With my appreciation and best regards.
(JULIO A. JELDRES)
In delivering his verdict at a trial Friday, Judge Iv Kim Sree, of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, ordered Julio Jeldres, a Chilean-born Australian, to pay 10 million riel (US$2,410; euro1,894) in compensation to Hun Sen. He also ordered Jeldres to pay a fine of 8 million riel (US$1,928; euro1,515) to the government.
Jeldres, who founded the nonprofit Khmer Institute of Democracy in Cambodia, did not appear for the trial. His whereabouts were not immediately known.
In April last year, Hun Sen sued Jeldres after he was quoted in the April 7 edition of The Cambodia Daily, an English-language newspaper, as saying that, "As you know, every time Prime Minister Hun Sen makes a threat, someone gets killed or wounded by unknown gangsters."
The comments were apparently in response to criticism Hun Sen had leveled against Jeldres, a frequent government critic, in an earlier speech.
Ka Savouth, a lawyer for Hun Sen, said during the trial that Jeldres' comments have "severely damaged the dignity and reputation" of the prime minister.
He had demanded compensation of 30 million riel (US$7,230; euro5,682) for his client.
Jeldres' Cambodian lawyer, Mao Somvutheary, said that her client did make the comments in an e-mail to a friend but that they were never intended for publication in any newspaper.
She accused The Cambodia Daily of "theft" and said it should be held responsible for publishing the comments without direct permission from Jeldres, while asking the court to drop the case against her client.
Sok Roeun, the prosecutor, defended the newspaper, saying Jeldres is solely responsible for defaming Hun Sen because he was the one who made the comments, while Ka Savouth, Hun Sen's lawyer, said Jeldres' e-mail had already been widely distributed to other people before it was published by the newspaper.
x X x
Below is a letter written by Julio Jeldres to ARDA and friends when he was first intimidated by Hun Sen:
Excellencies, Dear Friends,
Please find attached an unofficial translation from the Khmer Youth newspaper of Phnom Penh, translation kindly done by a khmer friend of mine. The article reports on a speech given by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday 4th April during the inauguration of a pagoda at Stung Trang disctrict, province of Kompong Cham. During the speech the PM violently attacked His Majesty the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, myself and HRH Prince Sisowath Thomico (former Private Secretary to HM) in that order. He was very insulting towards His Majesty and he referred to Prince Thomico an I by using the word "Ah" in Khmer which is one of the most insulting words in Khmer. He also threatened to counter attack us. The Premier is angry, I am advised because of an Open Letter His Majesty the King-Father wrote last week to the governments and parliaments of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand concerning the shrinking borders of Cambodia. I translated that Open Letter into English.
The PM is also unhappy with me beacuse of a speech I gave in Kuala Lumpur in early March in which I drew attention to the corruption of his regime.
This morning, the private telephone line of the Director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy (KID), whose chairman I am, and the telephone lines and e-mail service of the Institute were cut suddenly and then restored at about 11:00 am.
At the same time the website of His Majesty the King-Father has been off the air for three days alreay and staff at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh who take care of the website have been told by "Online-Cambodia" who provides the service that it has been suspended.
As you know, every time Prime Minister Hun Sen makes a threat someone gets killed or wounded by unknown gangsters. I am indeed very concerned by the safety of my staff in Phnom Penh and I would be grateful if all of you in a position to do so can make some kind of representation to the PM and let him know that any "accident" that may occur to my staff at KID will have serious repercusions from the international community.
I am myself currently in ------- taking care of my father who is not well and do not plan to go back to Cambodia for sometime as His Majesty the King-Father has cancelled his return to Cambodia and will now remain in "voluntary exile" in China and North Korea.
As the situation in Cambodia becomes worse and worse, it is high time that the donor community takes some concrete measures to stop this new trend towards dictatorship.
With my appreciation and best regards.
(JULIO A. JELDRES)
6 comments:
Hun Sen is not trying to cheat people, bcoz of Khmer people have known that Hun Sen is a bad guy. He was trying to lie himself only. Under his leadership, Cambodia will become zero again same as Pol Pot. Then, he will say "I don't know", sound so irresponsible.
ha ha you guys are so stupid , don't even know history.... ha ha ha that's so funny by reading all of your comments. I bet all of your guys are from US AM I RIGHT ? Well let me ask you a question .. ermm who bring the war in Southern Asia ?? The US right ? Yeah well why don't you blame the US, why should we hates our own people ? Who doesn't love their own country ? You this The king, Hun Sen and other high ranking people want to destroy our Nation ? WEll hell no man ... It's Because they have no other choice than that. We are a small country, we are poor and weak, we have no voice at all. All we do is listening to the Super Power. In the other hand, look at the US they bring shit to the world all the time, example in Irak, people are dying all the time ? US are so selfish they only think of they own goods. And the Causes of the Cambodian Civil War, in my own opinion are caused by Lon Nol and the US. If he didn't do the coup d'etat sihanouk would never attack back and our nation would be so developed nowaday. In the time of Lon Nol, 1970-1975 our government currupted even more than now. THEY CURRUPTED FROM THE US AIDs. Anyway i just wanted to say that we khmer should hate each other. We should encourage each other and help each other out. And i wanted to tell khmer people in US to calm down a bit. Because you people who live there always talk and talk but never help. Aren't you ashame to talk sometimes ? Khmer in US always think that they are the best and stuff, i am sorry if i offend some of you but that's what i'm thinking.
ha ha you guys are so stupid , don't even know history.... ha ha ha that's so funny by reading all of your comments. I bet all of your guys are from US AM I RIGHT ? Well let me ask you a question .. ermm who bring the war in Southern Asia ?? The US right ? Yeah well why don't you blame the US, why should we hates our own people ? Who doesn't love their own country ? You this The king, Hun Sen and other high ranking people want to destroy our Nation ? WEll hell no man ... It's Because they have no other choice than that. We are a small country, we are poor and weak, we have no voice at all. All we do is listening to the Super Power. In the other hand, look at the US they bring shit to the world all the time, example in Irak, people are dying all the time ? US are so selfish they only think of they own goods. And the Causes of the Cambodian Civil War, in my own opinion are caused by Lon Nol and the US. If he didn't do the coup d'etat sihanouk would never attack back and our nation would be so developed nowaday. In the time of Lon Nol, 1970-1975 our government currupted even more than now. THEY CURRUPTED FROM THE US AIDs. Anyway i just wanted to say that we khmer should hate each other. We should encourage each other and help each other out. And i wanted to tell khmer people in US to calm down a bit. Because you people who live there always talk and talk but never help. Aren't you ashame to talk sometimes ? Khmer in US always think that they are the best and stuff, i am sorry if i offend some of you but that's what i'm thinking.
JULIO A. JELDRES,
This is the way in which every man can do when are absolutely approaching the wall. So forgive him, soon you will stay in peace of mine.
Good on you Julio i'm glad that you are not fearful of Hun Sen and reveal the truth to the international community. I'm sure the Khmer people appreciate what you did.
If you observe what Hun Sen said and cross check it with news a month or two later you know what the actions Hun Sen taken usually someone will die, injured,arrested, being prosecuted in person or not, wrong accused or arrest...not much differ to Pol Pot at all... let name this Hun Sen Regime year minus ZERO.
Hey, You must stop accussing other Khmers in the US. I am one of the Khmers in the US too. I love all Khmers in Cambodia, and have mercy for them. I don't think Khmers in US are bad. Khmers in US went thru so much more than you. We come here to the US, built everything for the Khmers in Cambodia.
1. Khmers in the US with King, brought Untac in and kicked the Youn out of Srok.
2. In 1993, Khmers in Cambodia ridding bicycles and in 1994, you couldn't find road for cars in Phnom Penh. So who brougth this in?
3. Very quick, Hun Sen, Sok Ann, Hock Lundy and their families and cronies have hundred millions of dollars. Do you think you can have that if you still belong the Youn ?
4. Even now, you enjoy every thing in Cambodia from even selling Karaoke DVD to a free welfare from relatives and international donors. Do you think you can have that if you are under the youn.
5. Now, Khmers in the US never want anything from you. We just need you to fucking shut up and watch some days Hun Sen and the Youn will cut your head off.
6. You will need Khmers in the US again. Lazy shit like you can't even survive the US. Remember my word, I have seen that in my eyes.
7. You know your status. and just shut the fucking up.
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