Reuters
PHNOM PENH—A Cambodian newspaper editor and opposition candidate was freed on bail on Sunday after a outcry from rights activists who accused the government of trying to silence critics ahead of a July general election.
Dam Sith, a candidate for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, was charged last week with defaming Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in an article about the Khmer Rouge, the regime blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians in the 1970s.
"This is about putting pressure on journalists. This is all about politics," Dam Sith, editor of the Khmer Conscience newspaper, told reporters after he was granted bail.
Amnesty International said Dam Sith's arrest demonstrated how the criminal justice system "is used and abused" to silence critics of the government in the runup to the July 27 poll.
"His arrest sends a message of fear to journalists and other media workers in the lead-up to national elections next month," the human rights group said last week.
The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen has denied any wrongdoing.
Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge soldier who has been in power over the last 23 years, and his Cambodian People's Party are widely expected to win the parliamentary election, possibly with a clear majority of seats.
Hun Sen said early this month that his former co-premier Norodom Ranariddh, now a major opponent who has formed his own political party, would face jail if he returned to the country.
Ranariddh was found guilty last year in an embezzlement suit brought against him by colleagues in the royalist FUNCINPEC party who had ousted him as party leader.
Ranariddh, who was sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison, has spent most of his time since the trial in self-imposed exile in Malaysia.
Dam Sith, a candidate for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, was charged last week with defaming Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in an article about the Khmer Rouge, the regime blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians in the 1970s.
"This is about putting pressure on journalists. This is all about politics," Dam Sith, editor of the Khmer Conscience newspaper, told reporters after he was granted bail.
Amnesty International said Dam Sith's arrest demonstrated how the criminal justice system "is used and abused" to silence critics of the government in the runup to the July 27 poll.
"His arrest sends a message of fear to journalists and other media workers in the lead-up to national elections next month," the human rights group said last week.
The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen has denied any wrongdoing.
Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge soldier who has been in power over the last 23 years, and his Cambodian People's Party are widely expected to win the parliamentary election, possibly with a clear majority of seats.
Hun Sen said early this month that his former co-premier Norodom Ranariddh, now a major opponent who has formed his own political party, would face jail if he returned to the country.
Ranariddh was found guilty last year in an embezzlement suit brought against him by colleagues in the royalist FUNCINPEC party who had ousted him as party leader.
Ranariddh, who was sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison, has spent most of his time since the trial in self-imposed exile in Malaysia.
6 comments:
Hey bloggers,
It's very sad that most commenters here has nothing else to do, except quarreling with oneself. Has Khmer stopped bickering against each other? By the time Khmers realized, and fight for a common caused -- we will lose the country to Siamese & Youns.
BE PROACTIVE AND TAKE YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTERS!!!!!!!!!!
I second to that, but it is good for the politicinas to listen to people talk
There are some dogs & yuons barking here.
Hun Sen said :
My dogs speak good English !
Dam Sith is released because the intervention of HE Sam Rainsy to call International help.
Ah Hun Kvak and ah Hor Nam Hong can not use tricks to menace SRP Party.
អាហ៊ុន សែន (អាបណ្ឌិតភ្លេចរៀន) និង អាហោ ណាំហុង (អតីតមេគុកបឹងត្របែក សម័យខ្មែរក្រហម) បញ្ជាអោយតុលាការចាប់ លោកដាំ សិទ្ធិ ចាងហ្វាងកាសែត មនសិការខ្មែរ។ នោះជាវិធីបង្ក្រាប អ្នកប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ មុនពេលបោះឆ្នោត ប៉ុន្តែអាហ៊ុន សែន និង អាហោ ណាំហុង ត្រូវអាម៉ាស់មុខ ដោយកំលាំង អ្នកប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ មានឯ.ឧ. សមរង្ស៊ី ជាអ្នកដឹកនាំ និង កំលាំងអន្តរជាតិ កៀបសង្កត់អាហ៊ុន សែន និង អាហោ ណាំហុង។
A politician makes remarks which impute the character of a high government official. The politician’s fellow party member and running mate publishes his remarks.
The high government official feels that his character has been wrongly assailed so he looks to the law of Cambodia and sees that under defamation and the crime of disinformation he can ask the prosecutor to file a criminal complaint which he does.
The publisher is arrested under the rule of law. Many critics claim that it is the government that is behind this and therefore trying to intimidate those seeking office and the press. The PM asks the judge to allow the publisher to have bail-which occurs.
What is good about this? What is good is that the person who was the target of what he considers defamation against him did not go outside of the judicial system to avenge what he considered to be an attack against his honor and integrity. He use the court system- and this is good and speaks well for Cambodia in that citizens- even on the minister level, go to the courts to solve their disputes. Now the publisher will receive the judgment of the court as to whether or not he committed the crime of disinformation under Article 62 of the UNTAC criminal law.
PM Hun Sen shouldn't intervened with the court.
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