Sam Rainsy, Cambodian opposition party leader, is seen in Phnom Penh, Cambodia April 17, 2007. Sam Rainsy said Wednesday, June 18, 2008, a prosecutor's request to strip him of his parliamentary immunity was politically motivated to tarnish his name ahead of national elections next month. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Associated Press
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A Cambodian opposition leader said Wednesday a prosecutor's request to strip him of his parliamentary immunity was politically motivated to damage his reputation ahead of July national elections.
Sam Rainsy, head of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, denounced the prosecutor's action as an attempt to ruin his party's chances in the general election and "put me out of the political arena."
His comments came in response to a letter sent Monday to the lower house of parliament by a Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor.
The prosecutor, Ek Chheng Huot, requested that Sam Rainsy be stripped of his immunity so he could be investigated in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, a senior official in Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party.
Stripping a lawmaker of parliamentary immunity requires a two-thirds vote in parliament, which is currently in recess until national elections.
The prosecutor said Sam Rainsy has been accused of defamation and disinformation after he accused Hor Namhong of being a prison official for the Khmer Rouge in the capital, Phnom Penh. Sam Rainsy made the comments in an April 17 speech commemorating the Cambodians who died during the Khmer Rouge's brutal 1975-79 rule.
Hor Namhong has denied similar allegations in the past and won two defamation suits on the issue.
The foreign minister was among hundreds of Cambodian intellectuals who were living abroad and then returned home at the request of the Khmer Rouge. Upon their return many were held at the Boeng Trabek re-education camp. Many of them were transferred to the notorious S-21 prison before being executed, said Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, an independent institute researching the Khmer Rouge atrocities.
But, he said, there was no evidence that Hor Namhong acted as the chief of the camp.
Sam Rainsy repeated his accusation Wednesday. "Hor Namhong was the chief of the Boeng Trabek re-education camp, a kind of prison," he said.
His party is one of the few key challengers to Prime Minister Hun Sen's party in the upcoming national election.
Sam Rainsy said the government was doing all it could to ensure his party can not compete with the ruling party.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, who is also the chief government spokesman, dismissed Sam Rainsy's allegation, saying the government had nothing to do with the court's request to have his immunity removed.
He accused Sam Rainsy of playing "dirty tricks" for his own political gain ahead of the election by tarnishing Hor Namhong's reputation.
"So, Hor Namhong also has to clear his name before the election" by suing Sam Rainsy, Khieu Kanharith said.
Sam Rainsy, head of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, denounced the prosecutor's action as an attempt to ruin his party's chances in the general election and "put me out of the political arena."
His comments came in response to a letter sent Monday to the lower house of parliament by a Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor.
The prosecutor, Ek Chheng Huot, requested that Sam Rainsy be stripped of his immunity so he could be investigated in a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, a senior official in Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party.
Stripping a lawmaker of parliamentary immunity requires a two-thirds vote in parliament, which is currently in recess until national elections.
The prosecutor said Sam Rainsy has been accused of defamation and disinformation after he accused Hor Namhong of being a prison official for the Khmer Rouge in the capital, Phnom Penh. Sam Rainsy made the comments in an April 17 speech commemorating the Cambodians who died during the Khmer Rouge's brutal 1975-79 rule.
Hor Namhong has denied similar allegations in the past and won two defamation suits on the issue.
The foreign minister was among hundreds of Cambodian intellectuals who were living abroad and then returned home at the request of the Khmer Rouge. Upon their return many were held at the Boeng Trabek re-education camp. Many of them were transferred to the notorious S-21 prison before being executed, said Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, an independent institute researching the Khmer Rouge atrocities.
But, he said, there was no evidence that Hor Namhong acted as the chief of the camp.
Sam Rainsy repeated his accusation Wednesday. "Hor Namhong was the chief of the Boeng Trabek re-education camp, a kind of prison," he said.
His party is one of the few key challengers to Prime Minister Hun Sen's party in the upcoming national election.
Sam Rainsy said the government was doing all it could to ensure his party can not compete with the ruling party.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, who is also the chief government spokesman, dismissed Sam Rainsy's allegation, saying the government had nothing to do with the court's request to have his immunity removed.
He accused Sam Rainsy of playing "dirty tricks" for his own political gain ahead of the election by tarnishing Hor Namhong's reputation.
"So, Hor Namhong also has to clear his name before the election" by suing Sam Rainsy, Khieu Kanharith said.
16 comments:
IF BUDHA predict that C Pee Pee will win by 95%of the comming up election , why AH HUN SEN so scare the popularity of Mr SAM RAINSY..
Those dogs they event use BUBHA as their tool , they all will go to hell..
DEAD to all DICTATOR
LONG LIVE KHMER PEOPLE AND MR SAM RAINSY..
No one should be immune from the law.
KI Media should use a better photo, unless it has already switched side. The president looks stressed out and sad.
Will he last the distance?
Kuoy Pichet
no one is immune from hun shit law, that isthe issue.
True, and so what?
in cambodia Only hun sen 's clans is above the law...
Let's move forward and strip this son-of-bitch immunity before he further abuses his privileges.
I don't believe we should have this son-of-bitch running around like a loose cannon.
hun sen &his clans worry about their fate due to Cambodia national election,
You're son of a whore 3:01pm. Do you know who kill khmer people the most ?. He's the son of a whore like you, AH hun sen. He never give khmer people a chance to pick the own government.
It is necessary to remind to all the politicians, the journalists, and the people in charge of associations and labor-union that the laws exist in Cambodia and that everyone is responsible for the acts before the courts.
It is necessary to terminate the culture of the impunity.
There is for the good of all.
Mr. sam rainsy has to answer of his acts before the courts.
3:42 PM
I think you people enjoy too much of good things during the post-Khmer Rouge era; we should turn back the clock, so you people can reundergo and resuffer, you fucking ungrateful crocs shit.
1) Sam Raisy = (democrate, Khmer nationalist, West policy and ...).
2) Hor Nam Hong = (former Khmer Rouge since, communist youn and ...) What the khmer people can choose?
Without members of SRP party in Cambodia parliament, this building will be turned into a farm of monky who are being breeded to destroy cambodia. Areak Prey
Ah Scam Rainxy is finished. He will not make it to the election. Vote for HRP, FUNCINPEC, NRP, or CPP (the coolest of all.)
BRAVO mr SAM RAINSY and the party BRAVO , you are the one and the only that can save KHER from youn dominate and it PUPPET HUN SEN.
You will lead KHMER and HER peoples to the bright future like the generation of ANKOR WAT..
BUDHA will be with you and protect you , lightning will strike HUN SEN in the forehead at noon time...
toronto , canada
It is a mistake that CPP shows the whole world of its fear, the fear of losing to SRP.
It seems Hor Nam Hong may have committed crimes when he was the president of Beung Trabeak.
99.99..9% people believed he was a killer. I am dying to hear Hor Nam Hong makes his statement, but he does not do it, he just is running crazy suing the world.
One of the CPP member
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