Thursday, October 11, 2007

The corrupt court is protecting one of its own: Light sentence for a woman-beater and high-ranking officer

Group Blasts Judge for Light Sentence in Battery Case

Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
10 October 2007


A rights group Wednesday lambasted a Phnom Penh municipal judge for handing a light sentence to a high-ranking military official in a battery case.

Col. Chhor Dara was found guilty of beating a woman, but the judgment of a suspended sentence with time served was too light, said Kek Galabru, founder of the rights group Licadho.

"We appeal to the prosecutor…to file a protest so the Appeals Court can prosecute fairly and properly," she said. "This is all I ask. I don't want to have bad karma [by demanding a heavier sentence]. This is not a personal grudge, but it is about justice in society. We want the people in Cambodia to have due process under the law. For those who have high-ranking positions and those who have top officials backing them, they should receive due process under the law. Poor people and wealthy people should be equal [before the law]."

Cambodia's courts are notoriously corrupt and widely believed under the control of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen. The judiciary's poor reputation has not improved, despite the establishment of a $56 million genocide tribunal last year.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court Chief Judge Uk Savuth declined comment.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shut the fuck up. It is up to the girl to protest if she not satisfied with the verdict of the court.

Anonymous said...

You sound like another whimp who likes to beat up woman and children so you can act like the big man in front of all you friends.

Anonymous said...

Maybe, but what does that have anything to do with the sentence of the officer. If she don't feel she received justice from our court, she may express her opinion, and we'll take care of it.

Anonymous said...

You! idiot above, law not can only disegree by the poor victime, but by all the concerned citizen of the world!

You fuckup comminis should go to Hanoi Youn Vietnamese evil place!

Anonymous said...

Hey, this is srok Khmer, remember? We don't have to follow shit from the west, alright?