Finland grants visa to Cambodian ex-police chief
Newsroom Finland
News agencies reported Thursday that Finland had granted a visa to Heng Peo, a fugitive Cambodian former police chief sentenced in absentia to 18 years for playing a part in a conspiracy to murder of a municipal judge in 2003.
Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) quoted a letter from Hor Namhong, the Cambodian foreign minister, to Erkki Tuomioja (soc dem), the Finnish opposite number, as saying that Finland was harbouring criminals.
"It is with great consternation that we learn that your government has decided to issue a visa to Heng Peo, a convicted criminal," DPA quoted the letter as saying.
In the angry letter, the foreign minister claimed this was the second time Finland had offered shelter to a convicted Cambodian criminal, referring to Sok Yoeun, a Cambodian opposition party member charged with taking part in an attempt on Prime Minister Hun Sen's life in 1998.
"There are currently many criminals serving jail terms in Cambodian prisons. We would be happy to send them all to Finland," Hor Namhong wrote.
Heng Peo, 49, has been detained for immigration offences in Malaysia since October. He says that he would be tortured and executed if deported to Cambodia.
Lauri Korpinen, the Finnish ambassador in Malaysia, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the visa in question was a restricted one and that Heng Peo was not entitled to go to other EU countries.
"We will consider further action after he has arrived in Finland. I don't know his plans. Now, this is just to help him in this situation," Mr Korpinen was quoted as saying by AFP.
Finland´s decision to grant the visa came after repeated appeals by non-governmental organisations, Europarliamentarians and Cambodian refugees.
Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) quoted a letter from Hor Namhong, the Cambodian foreign minister, to Erkki Tuomioja (soc dem), the Finnish opposite number, as saying that Finland was harbouring criminals.
"It is with great consternation that we learn that your government has decided to issue a visa to Heng Peo, a convicted criminal," DPA quoted the letter as saying.
In the angry letter, the foreign minister claimed this was the second time Finland had offered shelter to a convicted Cambodian criminal, referring to Sok Yoeun, a Cambodian opposition party member charged with taking part in an attempt on Prime Minister Hun Sen's life in 1998.
"There are currently many criminals serving jail terms in Cambodian prisons. We would be happy to send them all to Finland," Hor Namhong wrote.
Heng Peo, 49, has been detained for immigration offences in Malaysia since October. He says that he would be tortured and executed if deported to Cambodia.
Lauri Korpinen, the Finnish ambassador in Malaysia, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the visa in question was a restricted one and that Heng Peo was not entitled to go to other EU countries.
"We will consider further action after he has arrived in Finland. I don't know his plans. Now, this is just to help him in this situation," Mr Korpinen was quoted as saying by AFP.
Finland´s decision to grant the visa came after repeated appeals by non-governmental organisations, Europarliamentarians and Cambodian refugees.
3 comments:
Finland must not bow to the pressure and the diplomatic blackmail of those criminals in power in Phnom Penh. They are the same as what Heng Pov used to be. They are the judge and the jury in the country, so they can get away with all their criminal acts. They don't want their true crimes to be revealed by this whistle-blower Heng Pov.
Appeasing these criminals would mean aiding and abetting their crimes in Cambodia. Instead, Finland and other courageous nations should combine their efforts to bring those real criminals in power to face justice in international courts. For a start, they should be banned from travelling to all those countries that believe in true democracy, good governance and human rights.
The world can save Heng Pov.
Can the world save Cambodian people from Heng Pov and Hun Sen?
Mr. Hor used his own anger to make our nation shame. It is true that some criminals, Born Somnang and Sok SamOeun, serving jail terms in Cambodia should be released and they may not need to live in Finland but they need freedom.
Finland is harbouring criminals? are most Cambodian high ranking officials are criminals?
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