20 March 2007By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
The Sralanh Khmer newspaper is ready to apologize to former monarch Norodom Sihanouk and Queen-mother Monineath Sihanouk after the Ministry of Information as well as the royal palace office have reacted very strongly on the newspaper’s publication which seriously touched upon the former king last week.
At the same time, a source indicated that the royal palace office is planning to sue the newspaper in court.
Thach Ket, the editor of Sralanh Khmer, said that he is ready to print a correction and to apologize to the former monarch once he receives the official letter.
Thach Ket: If there is a request for a correction, I will publish the correction in the next edition.
Sok Serey: Do you accept the fault that your past publication was slanderous or is it something else?
Thach Ket: At first, I didn’t think that there was any fault because it is a translation of someone else’s article, but if the royal palace and the Ministry of Information say that doing what I did was not right, and if they tell to make correction, then I will make the correction.”
Regarding this affair, Khieu Kanharith, the Minister of Information told RFA on Tuesday that: “The content of this article attacked Samdach Hun Sen and others. The newspaper published the article on the 15 and 16, and the 16 was the date of the start of the election campaign, therefore, the majority of people traveled to the local bases. On Monday we were waiting for clarifications from the royal family members first. But when I heard that the royal palace plans to sue already, then we don’t need to sue on our side, a publication of a correction is sufficient.”
Funcinpec is calling for a lawsuit on the newspaper because it believes that the article touched upon the former monarch.
On 15 and 16 March, Sralanh Khmer published an article written by a Cambodian man living in France, the content of which accuses the former king on several points: opportunism, corruption, and the article accused Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk of being a Vietnamese woman.
Princess Sisowath Santa, a Funcinpec MP, said in reaction to the newspaper publication that the article is unacceptable, and it heavily attacked the former monarch and Queen-Mother, and the article also violates the constitution which stated that the king is inviolable. “This is a serious attack on the constitution, they look down on the king, therefore it is not proper. This is my comment.”
The royal palace office and the ministry of information have distributed simultaneously letters to all press media in Cambodia, both in the private and the state sectors, and telling them to publish and broadcast the disclaimer made by Oum Manorin and Mrs. Oum Sophanit, the older siblings of Queen-Mother Monineath Sihanouk, who are hurt and are denying all the content [of the article] in the Sralanh Khmer’s publication.
In the disclaimer issued by Senator Oum Manorin, and Oum Sophanit, the wife of Senator Ieu Pannakar, the following declaration was made to the national and international public: Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk was born from the womb of Chao Khun Pomme Peang, our mother who is a real Khmer woman, with Mr. “Jean François IZZI” who is a French citizen.
Khieu Kanharith ordered the newspaper to publish the entire disclaimer above. He explained that the 15-16 March publication under the title of “Monique is a Vietnamese woman and cannot be considered as the Queen-Mother, or Queen-Grandmother of the Khmer people,” seriously violates Article 7 of Chapter II of the constitution.
------
KI-Media Note: Chapter II, Article 7 of the constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia states: “The King of Cambodia shall reign but shall not govern. The King shall be the Head of State for life. The King shall be inviolable.” Although the article is aimed towards the active king, it appears that this article has no provision for a retired king. Maybe one of our readers who is knowledgeable in legal matters may shed some light on this issue for our other readers.
At the same time, a source indicated that the royal palace office is planning to sue the newspaper in court.
Thach Ket, the editor of Sralanh Khmer, said that he is ready to print a correction and to apologize to the former monarch once he receives the official letter.
Thach Ket: If there is a request for a correction, I will publish the correction in the next edition.
Sok Serey: Do you accept the fault that your past publication was slanderous or is it something else?
Thach Ket: At first, I didn’t think that there was any fault because it is a translation of someone else’s article, but if the royal palace and the Ministry of Information say that doing what I did was not right, and if they tell to make correction, then I will make the correction.”
Regarding this affair, Khieu Kanharith, the Minister of Information told RFA on Tuesday that: “The content of this article attacked Samdach Hun Sen and others. The newspaper published the article on the 15 and 16, and the 16 was the date of the start of the election campaign, therefore, the majority of people traveled to the local bases. On Monday we were waiting for clarifications from the royal family members first. But when I heard that the royal palace plans to sue already, then we don’t need to sue on our side, a publication of a correction is sufficient.”
Funcinpec is calling for a lawsuit on the newspaper because it believes that the article touched upon the former monarch.
On 15 and 16 March, Sralanh Khmer published an article written by a Cambodian man living in France, the content of which accuses the former king on several points: opportunism, corruption, and the article accused Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk of being a Vietnamese woman.
Princess Sisowath Santa, a Funcinpec MP, said in reaction to the newspaper publication that the article is unacceptable, and it heavily attacked the former monarch and Queen-Mother, and the article also violates the constitution which stated that the king is inviolable. “This is a serious attack on the constitution, they look down on the king, therefore it is not proper. This is my comment.”
The royal palace office and the ministry of information have distributed simultaneously letters to all press media in Cambodia, both in the private and the state sectors, and telling them to publish and broadcast the disclaimer made by Oum Manorin and Mrs. Oum Sophanit, the older siblings of Queen-Mother Monineath Sihanouk, who are hurt and are denying all the content [of the article] in the Sralanh Khmer’s publication.
In the disclaimer issued by Senator Oum Manorin, and Oum Sophanit, the wife of Senator Ieu Pannakar, the following declaration was made to the national and international public: Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk was born from the womb of Chao Khun Pomme Peang, our mother who is a real Khmer woman, with Mr. “Jean François IZZI” who is a French citizen.
Khieu Kanharith ordered the newspaper to publish the entire disclaimer above. He explained that the 15-16 March publication under the title of “Monique is a Vietnamese woman and cannot be considered as the Queen-Mother, or Queen-Grandmother of the Khmer people,” seriously violates Article 7 of Chapter II of the constitution.
------
KI-Media Note: Chapter II, Article 7 of the constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia states: “The King of Cambodia shall reign but shall not govern. The King shall be the Head of State for life. The King shall be inviolable.” Although the article is aimed towards the active king, it appears that this article has no provision for a retired king. Maybe one of our readers who is knowledgeable in legal matters may shed some light on this issue for our other readers.
6 comments:
Reply to KI-Media Note:
I am not well understand about this chapter II, article 7. I try to understand it.
Seehanake now is like the expired product. Do you think expired product can be good advertisement of its? So Seehanake is the same thing, he is retirement. The government tidy up the royal palace already and Seehanake is thrown away to BeiJeung, Schina and we have new King Seehomo(sexual)ni that him can be legally followed the chapter II and article 7.
We don't live in past time, we live now and walk to the future. Our Lords please give him an excuse.
Well well,now the monkey is till up the cherry tree in Beijing,the ignorant farmers are in the process to Bar-B-Que poor skinny goat.
Where is freedom of erection and ejackulation,som'ach euv
Why Sihanouk can not accept the freedom of speech and the truth that he married to the Viet gir?. He destroyed Cambodia for so long and now tried to shut up all of us not to speak out.
What does khmer king do for the country? History shows that they only waste the tax payer money and they're like one of us coming out from the worm not from God. So why we need to raise them higher than us. They're human like us and they talk shit than us.
Who care about who Sihanouk married
to? French, Japanese, ..., or Vietnamese, it is his freedom of
choice. Isn't it? You really think
it would make a difference?
You're right 4:15AM. Nope, I agree, it would not make a damn bit of difference!
Do not worry compatriots, sooner or later history will be written by new generation...it will be clear...who's white or black...
Now let him jump as possible...........
Post a Comment