Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Jailed Teacher May Undergo Psychiatric Test

Wednesday, September 27, 2006
By Prak Chan Thul and Erik Wasson
THE CAMBODIA DAILY


The teacher jailed this month for teaching his self-published anti-government textbook may have to undergo up to six months of psychiatric evaluations to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial, a court-appointed doctor said Tuesday.

Tieng Narith, who was fired in August from Phnom Penh's Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University, was charged Sept 6 with disinformation. The teacher, who is said to suffer mental problems, faces up to three years in prison over his profanity-laced textbook if he is found guilty.

"The test could take between two weeks and six months," psychiatrist and Faculty of Medicine Rector Ka Sun Baunat said. "There is still a lot more questioning."

He said he could not discuss the case in detail because this would violate his patient's confidentiality.

In his book, Tieng Narith links top government officials to political violence and echoes recent allegations by former municipal police chief Heng Pov.

Tieng Narith's father Tieng Yeang, 57, said he wants the psychiatric evaluation to be completed faster and reiterated that his son is suffering from mental difficulties.

"When he is angry, there is a problem," he said, adding that Ka Sun Baunat has contacted him for details about his son's childhood.

British doctor Gavin Scott, of the Tropical & Travelers Medical Clinic in Phnom Penh, said that in his opinion, a psychiatric evaluation should take a week or less.

"You can do a psychiatric evaluation in an hour or you can do it in one week," he said.

"Six months doesn't seem reasonable."

Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association President Rong Chhun said the evaluation is taking too long and that it might be prolonged to punish Tieng Narith.

"[The test] should be three or four days or at the longest a week," he said.

"It is only an excuse to delay the detention."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What is the fuck going on here these day in Cambodia?! So every time Cambodian people criticized AH HUN SEN and AH HUN SEN government send them to see Psychiatrist? It is just doesn't make any sense!

What about AH HUN SEN himself who goes around smelling people fart? Tell me who is going to send AH HUN SEN to see the psychiatrist?

What about AH HUN SEN signed a contract for 99 years worth $300million? Who is going to send AH HUN SEN to see the psychiatrist?

This whole situation with AH HUN SEN for sending Cambodian people to see psychiatrist is nothing more than to have a patient who ask the doctor what is wrong with his health and the doctor said I don't know what is wrong with your health and why don't you tell me what is wrong with you or your health!

In this case, AH HUN SEN is the one with the mental problem and he needs to go see the psychiatrist! But how can AH HUN SEN go to see psychiatrist when he didn't even admit that he has mental problem! If this bastard don't even take an ownership of his mental illness and how can the psychiatrist help him?

AH HUN SEN mental illness will only make Cambodian people suffer even more with all the bad decisions that he had made over the years! When AH HUN SEN stand before a firing squad, he can always claim insanity and who is going to kill a crazy people like him? ahahahah!