Khemara Sok
Voice of America
Washington
14/09/2006
Two prominent newspapers in Cambodia, and a foreign former King biographer, will be tried separately in a Phnom Penh court Friday on defamation charges against Prime Minister Hun Sen, and Minister in charge of the Office of the council of Ministers, Mr. Sok An, defamation charges, according to court officials and lawyers familiar with the cases.
The English-language Cambodia Daily, and former King Sihanouk official biographer, Mr. Julio Jeldres, have been charged by the Phnom Penh Municipal court for defaming PM Hun Sen, in the publication and information dissemination last year, by saying that whenever Mr. Hun Sen issues threats, there are concerns that someone will be killed.
Moneaksekar newspaper known to be tilting toward the opposition Sam Rainsy party (SRP), has published an article charging Mr. Sok An of involving in corruptions.
Both Mr. Hun Sen and Mr. Sok An filed lawsuits through their lawyers against both newspapers.
Court officials say that the hearings on both cases are scheduled for Friday. Moneaksekar chief editor, Mr. Dam Sith says he and his lawyer will be present at the hearing. He said the article in his newspaper was written based on news sources he had received. He says that if the charges are groundless, then the two leaders should make their assets transparent to the public. Then the writer will do the correction which the newspaper will publish later.
Mr. Julio Jeldres's lawyer, Ms. Som Mao Sotheavy, says that her client did not do anything wrong, and did not defame the prime minsiter. She says that her client and she only correspond with each other via e-mails, and that she does not know the origin of the article published in the Cambodia Daily.
Cambodia Daily's chief editor, Mr. Kevin Doyle says that he will not participate in the Friday hearing. It's not known whether PM Hun Sen and Minister Sok An will attend Friday's court hearing. Lawyers for the prime minister and minister Sok An cannot be reached for comment. Neither the court officials can be reached.
Civil society officials are concerned about the freedom of expression in Cambodia before the election. They have noticed that the trial occurs before subsequent reporters receive death threats. Sralanh Khmer newspaper editor, Mr. You Saravuth had to flee abroad following death threats. TV journalist Soy Sopheap received death threat after he made revelations on air about accusations of corruption against officials and members of the military.
The English-language Cambodia Daily, and former King Sihanouk official biographer, Mr. Julio Jeldres, have been charged by the Phnom Penh Municipal court for defaming PM Hun Sen, in the publication and information dissemination last year, by saying that whenever Mr. Hun Sen issues threats, there are concerns that someone will be killed.
Moneaksekar newspaper known to be tilting toward the opposition Sam Rainsy party (SRP), has published an article charging Mr. Sok An of involving in corruptions.
Both Mr. Hun Sen and Mr. Sok An filed lawsuits through their lawyers against both newspapers.
Court officials say that the hearings on both cases are scheduled for Friday. Moneaksekar chief editor, Mr. Dam Sith says he and his lawyer will be present at the hearing. He said the article in his newspaper was written based on news sources he had received. He says that if the charges are groundless, then the two leaders should make their assets transparent to the public. Then the writer will do the correction which the newspaper will publish later.
Mr. Julio Jeldres's lawyer, Ms. Som Mao Sotheavy, says that her client did not do anything wrong, and did not defame the prime minsiter. She says that her client and she only correspond with each other via e-mails, and that she does not know the origin of the article published in the Cambodia Daily.
Cambodia Daily's chief editor, Mr. Kevin Doyle says that he will not participate in the Friday hearing. It's not known whether PM Hun Sen and Minister Sok An will attend Friday's court hearing. Lawyers for the prime minister and minister Sok An cannot be reached for comment. Neither the court officials can be reached.
Civil society officials are concerned about the freedom of expression in Cambodia before the election. They have noticed that the trial occurs before subsequent reporters receive death threats. Sralanh Khmer newspaper editor, Mr. You Saravuth had to flee abroad following death threats. TV journalist Soy Sopheap received death threat after he made revelations on air about accusations of corruption against officials and members of the military.
7 comments:
-kangaroo court.
-Gainster, muderer police.
-Drug Human Trafiker Army.
-pirate Coast guarde.
and you expect us to have democracy?
Boy cut the election and thank nothing to UNTAC!
"Stick's and stone may break my bone, but words don't hurt me".
A children rhyme. I guess Hun Sen must be child, if words hurt him. Maybe somebody should throw stones at him instead.
Please, look at this exceptional and patriot cartoon site
http://sacrava.blogspot.com
All the judges in Cambodian should be sent to fee sharks and whales in the ocean because all their brain are not human. They are half fish and half lion seals. They are very good for shark feed.
Heng Pov is right about these idiots! The reason he ruled the country for this long because he killed and silented his opposition.
Watch out SRP!
"There is no real justice under the sun, only in Heaven," Socrates, one of the most predominant Greek philosophers said some thousand years ago. However, we all the peace and justice lovers must help to fight for justice, freedom of expression, and a real democratic Cambodia. One of the best peaceful solution is Election. Help the opposition to win your both mmental and materal support!
Screw Hun Sen! Screw all current Cambodias leadership! Screw Yuon's puppet government. Infamousness will fail someday! Justice will reveal and all evils must die, must fade away and our beloved mother land and people will survive and last longer than thousands of years. A good will from someone in Japan.
Those judges and court officials are fully aware that they operate a double-standard justice: one justice for the CPP and one injustice for the rest of us. And, they can still sleep soundly at night without guilt or remorse for all the victims of their injustice. Of course, the head of these mafias is Hun Sen.
Let's all pray for the untimely death of these criminals by AIDS, accidents, and other misfortunes. We can't fight them directly, as they control everything in Cambodia, but we can fight them spiritually. We should get what we intensely pray for together for the sake of our beloved nation and people.
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