Media freedom groups denounce General Pol Sinuon for making light of journalists’ safety
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
By Amanda Natividad
AsiaMedia Staff Writer
General Sinuon threatened to shoot local newsman Chim Chenda for addressing him by his name, but later said the statment was only a joke.
Chim Chenda of Kampuchea Thmey, or "New Cambodia," was eating in a Battambang restaurant with several security officers when Gen. Sinuon arrived. After the officers and Gen. Sinuon exchanged greetings, Chim Chenda addressed the general as "Brother Nuon." Angered, the general demanded Chim "get on his knees and apologize," or he would kill him, according to the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ).
Chim responded by filing suit against the general in the Battambang provincial court. CAPJ has refused to accept Gen. Sinuon's claim that he was joking, while the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are joining in CAPJ in demanding a full investigation into the situation.
IFJ President Christopher Warren said in a statment that the incident a "flagrant disgregard for journalist safety."
The organizations condemn Gen. Sinuon's action particularly because similar threats have recently been used in attempts to silence journalists.
In September, 2007 Cambodian Television Network (CTN) journalist Soy Sopheap reportedly received a death threat in a letter from an unidentified military general after Soy recited newspaper excerpts that accused civil and military officers of using their power to violate Cambodian law. Two months earlier, Sralanh Khmer editor-in-chief You Saravuth fled to Thailand after having received death threats for printing an article criticizing Prime Minister Hun Sen’s nephew, Hun Tho for illegally seizing land. Some of these threats came from Hun himself.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
By Amanda Natividad
AsiaMedia Staff Writer
General Sinuon threatened to shoot local newsman Chim Chenda for addressing him by his name, but later said the statment was only a joke.
Chim Chenda of Kampuchea Thmey, or "New Cambodia," was eating in a Battambang restaurant with several security officers when Gen. Sinuon arrived. After the officers and Gen. Sinuon exchanged greetings, Chim Chenda addressed the general as "Brother Nuon." Angered, the general demanded Chim "get on his knees and apologize," or he would kill him, according to the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ).
Chim responded by filing suit against the general in the Battambang provincial court. CAPJ has refused to accept Gen. Sinuon's claim that he was joking, while the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are joining in CAPJ in demanding a full investigation into the situation.
IFJ President Christopher Warren said in a statment that the incident a "flagrant disgregard for journalist safety."
The organizations condemn Gen. Sinuon's action particularly because similar threats have recently been used in attempts to silence journalists.
In September, 2007 Cambodian Television Network (CTN) journalist Soy Sopheap reportedly received a death threat in a letter from an unidentified military general after Soy recited newspaper excerpts that accused civil and military officers of using their power to violate Cambodian law. Two months earlier, Sralanh Khmer editor-in-chief You Saravuth fled to Thailand after having received death threats for printing an article criticizing Prime Minister Hun Sen’s nephew, Hun Tho for illegally seizing land. Some of these threats came from Hun himself.
13 comments:
One should never address a General as "brother" after all the General has on his decorated shoulders many STARS, MOONS, and PLANETS. :)
There goes another idiot who just
going to waste everyone times for
his own pleasure. Anyway, I wonder
how much is he suiting for? Not
that it matter because the fool
think he's in France. The court
will dismissed this case and done
with it. Who got time for such
a moron.
THE TREATIES SIGNED BY HUN SEN/HENG SAMRIN/CHEA SIM WITH VIETNAM ARE ALL UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
THE TREATIES SIGNED BY HUN SEN/HENG SAMRIN/CHEA SIM WITH VIETNAM ARE ALL UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
CAMBODIA PEOPLE WOULD NEVER EVER RECOGNIZE THESE IGNOMINIOUS TREATIES.
BY BAPHUON
The pro-Vietnamese tried hard to discourage our effort to void the illegal and unequal treaties that HUN SEN/HENG SAMRIN/CHEA SIM had signed with Vietnam .
The Vietnamese insidious propaganda implied the idea of irreversibility. They said: it is irreversible; the 1979, 1983, 1985 and 2005 treaties became irremediably law of land. And those who attack these treaties would be considered as outlaws.
The pro-Vietnamese key argument was: all Cambodian institutions, and without exception, from the King to the National Assembly, the Senate, and the government, had all approved it, therefore, these 1979, 1983, 1985 and 2005 treaties between Vietnam - HUN SEN/HENG SAMRIN/CHEA SIM become laws.
Sean Péngsè, the President of Cambodia Border Committee in France and the world, during his meeting with Cambodian-American in the US last month had demonstrated the unconstitutionality of these ignominious treaties.
Péngsè said:
During the World War II, the French Vichy regime had signed also the treaty with Hitler ceding French land to the Third Reich. All Vichy institutions had also approved without exception that treaty, which was imposed by Hitler upon Marshal Pétain.
But when the Third Reich was defeated, the victorious De Gaulle declared that French-German treaty void and threw in prison all those who approved the cession of France land to the Third Reich. De Gaulle put in trial as traitor of France Nation those who approved the treaty. Some defendants were executed by a firing squad for crime of treason by De Gaulle.
For the same reason, Chili and Argentina didn’t recognize the treaties they had signed under the duress.
WE, Cambodian people, would never recognize all these ignominious 1978, 1983, 1985 and 2005 treaties signed by HUN SEN/HENG SAMRIN/ CHEA SIM with Vietnam , even though all institutions including the King, the government, the National Assembly, the Senate had approved it.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 16 May 2007 )
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CFC/CBC February 27, 2007
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
COMMUNIQUE
These last days the foreign newspapers publish news on the discovery of the nonrenewable natural wealth of which hydrocarbons in our maritime space.
And at the time of the 3 days visit as from February 27 2007de the delegation Vietnamese led by the President NGUYÊN Minh Triet, the Cambodia Border's Committee in France and in the world would consider it useful to point out here our Continental Shelf cut down by our neighbors
1-0 This agreement of July 7, 1982 referred as the Treaty of February 18, 1979, created a so-called area of “Historical Water Zone” consisting of about 10,000 sq. km put under common management, and it also recognized the annexation by the SRV of Koh Tral, Koh Krachak Sés (Poulo-Panjang) and one third (30,000 sq. km) of the territorial water of Cambodia.
However, the PRK boasted the full and complete sovereignty on these maritime zones and the continental shelf newly delimited. It even talked about the recognition by the Vietnamese party of our sovereignty on the Island Poulo Wai.
It should be noted that this island has always been under our management. Testimonies to this fact are:
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 February 2007 )
Read more...
http://wms.cfcambodge.org/mambo/
CFC/CBC February 27, 2007
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
COMMUNIQUE
These last days the foreign newspapers publish news on the discovery of the nonrenewable natural wealth of which hydrocarbons in our maritime space.
And at the time of the 3 days visit as from February 27 2007de the delegation Vietnamese led by the President NGUYÊN Minh Triet, the Cambodia Border's Committee in France and in the world would consider it useful to point out here our Continental Shelf cut down by our neighbors
1-0 This agreement of July 7, 1982 referred as the Treaty of February 18, 1979, created a so-called area of “Historical Water Zone” consisting of about 10,000 sq. km put under common management, and it also recognized the annexation by the SRV of Koh Tral, Koh Krachak Sés (Poulo-Panjang) and one third (30,000 sq. km) of the territorial water of Cambodia.
However, the PRK boasted the full and complete sovereignty on these maritime zones and the continental shelf newly delimited. It even talked about the recognition by the Vietnamese party of our sovereignty on the Island Poulo Wai.
It should be noted that this island has always been under our management. Testimonies to this fact are:
- Letter No. 1134-PCM/AP/X dated June 7, 1957 by HRH Samdech Norodom Sihanouk: As President of the Council of Ministers, he had ordered our Royal Khmer Navy to ensure the protection of the islands located in the Gulf of Siam, in particular the Island of Poulo Wai which we were managing;
- Letter No. 43/DG/DM/X dated July 20, 1972 from the Industrial, Mining Resources, and Maritime Fishing Minister who authorized the land occupation and management of this island (installation of a heliport and a harbor) to the French company “Société Française de Pétrole ELF-ERAP” (ELF-ERAP) of Cambodia. This company installed “geodetic and geographic markers” indicating that this island belongs to Cambodia prior to its first drilling operation 50 km to the south of the island in 1972.
Please refer to the attached photograph taken on August 19, 1972 during the visit of the ELF-ERAP [oil] platform on the Island of Poulo Wai by the [Khmer] Delegation headed by Mr. Chhan Sokhum, Minister of Industry, Mr. Heng Long, Director of the Ministry of Industry, Mr. Sean Pengse, Director of the Office of Mines, Geology, and Oil of the Ministry of Industry. The delegation traveled on a Royal Khmer Navy ship under the direction of a Khmer Royal Navy Commander, and was received by Mr. Jean-Claude Lot, Resident Director of ELF-ERAP in Cambodia.
1.1 Agreement and Treaty of July 20, 1983
The new agreement on the “Border Status”, and the new treaty on the “Principle of Resolution on Border Issues” were concluded and regulated the creation and the delimitation of border zones, the inhabitants life, the trade, and the free border crossing, all to the detriment of Cambodia.
1.2 Treaty of December 27, 1985
A new Treaty was concluded between the two parties in order to officially recognize the new delimitation of the national borders between the two countries without taking into consideration past repeated recognitions by the North and South Vietnamese governments on the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Cambodia.
2.0 REPERCUSSIONS OF THE TREATIES
Among the Agreements and Treaties referred to above, the SRV used as basis the Agreement on “Historical Water” concluded on July 7, 1982 to provide two Declarations with the General Assembly of the UN and concluded an Agreement with Thailand.
2.1 UN declarations by Vietnam
The SRV presented to the UN two Declarations, one dated November 12, 1982 and the other dated June 5, 1984 requesting that all the member states respect the new baselines of the maritime territory and the new national airspace of Vietnam that it has recently acquired as part of the aforesaid Agreement.
If the SRV was sincere and if it did not gain any new territories out of these Treaties and Agreements, it would not need to present these new Declarations to the General Assembly of the UN.
Among third party countries in the region, the Republic of Singapore protested these Declarations that it described as opposite to the rules of international law.
At that time, HRH Samdech Norodom Sihanouk, President of the Coalition Government, had incessantly declared null and void these Agreements and Treaties concluded between the SRV and the PRK.
2.2 Bilateral agreement between the SRV and Thailand
Furthermore, under the pretext of the 1982 Agreement, the SRV concluded with Thailand on August 11, 1997 a Bilateral Agreement to fix the new respective maritime zones between these two countries at the detriment of Cambodia. This resulted in another loss of a third (30,000 sq. km) of Cambodia’s maritime area.
Mr. HUN SEN himself protested against this Vietnamese-Thai Treaty on May 7, 1998 during his official visit to Thailand, however, Thailand referred him to Vietnam which used the 1982 Agreement as a basis to conclude the negotiations with Thailand.
3.0 RESPONSIBILITY OF KHMER AUTORITIES FACED WITH THESE ISSUES
These illegal treaties should have been cancelled since the first government in 1993 in accordance with the Paris Peace Agreements on Cambodia dated October 23, 1991, and with the 1993 Constitution of Cambodia of 1993 (Article 55).
To the surprise of everyone concerned, these treaties were further recognized by the Joint Khmer-Vietnamese Committee on March 27, 1999, and were approved by the coalition government on December 22, 2000 to the contrary of the Constitution of Cambodia (Article 52). This constitutes, without doubt, a deliberated act of the government. Even in his reply dated July 31, 2000 to a letter from the King, Mr. Hun Sen put forth the following incomprehensible argument:
“...Taking into consideration the current situation and the two points stated above, it is not suitable for the government to openly and officially declare today the nullity of these treaties and agreements with Vietnam in order to allow the Joint Khmer-Vietnamese Committee to pursue difficult negotiations until obtaining satisfactory final results ".
Mr. Sok An, during his speech in front of the National Assembly in 2002, has also put forth the same argument.
His Majesty the King categorically refused to recognize these treaties and agreements at the pressing request of the delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam that visited him on December 27, 2003.
Indeed, the Royal Government which has the duty of defending the Independence, Sovereignty, and the Territorial Integrity (Article 52 of the Constitution), must take all necessary actions to keep intact our Unity in order to preserve the primordial interests of the Khmer Nation.
The Government must constantly listen to the complaints by the population and must immediately render justice on the spot the litigations that occur.
Soldiers, ex-soldiers, the population including women deplore and sound the alarm of despair against the injustices imposed upon them by neighboring countries, and they ask the head of the government, the President of the National Assembly, and even the heads of political parties to help them find their peace, to recover their lands, to preserve our borders which are continuously being nibbled away. Illegal annexation or appropriation of our lands and even of our temples near the borders are occurring on a daily basis.
- x -
It is also an issue of life and death that concerns us in particular. A solution is absolutely necessary. Foreign powers cannot do anything for us. It is for us to become aware of these issues. We cannot allow this act to last perpetually because it could lead to our complete loss of territory and identity.
For the Cambodia’s Border Committee in France and Worldwide,
Paris, February 27, 2007
Sean Pengse
http://wms.cfcambodge.org/mambo
Ah ... Shut the fuck up, loser?
It is time to solve the stone-aged
border issue once for all. Idiots
before us has failed. Border issue
will be history whether Ah Khmer-
Gringo like it or not. You got
that?
A vietnamese caught for human trafficking
Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - by sokmeng
Phnom Penh: A vietnamese lady was alledge of taking a girl out without coming back. Though lady did not accept the allegation, she was detained to wait for more investigation.
The parents of 19-year-old girl alledged the vietnamese lady Srey Leak, 20, for taking their daughter without taking back. The lady was imprisoned on 15th May 2007 waiting for more investigation. The case is difficult to judge because the alledged lady do not accept the allegation
Who does the general think he is, Hun Sen?
Since 1993, Cambodian Government has failed to provide to their citizen their public security due to the government failure to contain military in their military barrack and police with National spirit. All following goverment have used military personnel to be their personal bodyguards and personal servants to cut trees and to develop farmland for their personal interests. These kind of acivities are still carry on from year to year without any discussion to solve these problems. Therefore personal intimidation from military officers to civilian personnel has happened all the time which have affected greatly to attract investors to invest in Cambodia and so Cambodia cannot in the past 15 years to increase wage or salary to their public servants to a liveable level and then there are explosions of corruption in every level of the society. The recent thread from this military leaders shouldn't be tolerated. Areak Prey
Wrong, we don't want to protect
no idiot who disrepected our
country liberators and our
culture... . You sound very
Frenchy, 8:26.
I feel like womiting everytime I see a RCAF General. And people must call them " MR Excelency General" There too many Generals in Cambodia , about one army of Generals. These STARS have no value at all. We must call them AH PHKAY CHOR (Thief Star).
The Stars has no value, 10:26?
Actually, it is your upside-down
and backward space-aged education
that has no value. I don't mind
having a few of them (stars)
myself. I think I should learn
how to pickpocket. There are many
shops who's willing to pay top
dollars for them (stars).
Idiot 4:45pm are you fucking up or what?
Just joking dude, have a good time all of you!
We, Cambodians, are very ashamed to have an uneducated prime minister like ah Hun Sen
Reporters have rights to ask any question to high-rank officials, either prime minister, in the world.
If ah Hun Sen (Kbal youn khloun Sat') told RFA reporters are insolent, so ah Hun Sen is very ILL-BRED and uneducated barbarian person
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