Dam Sith with SRP MP Ho Vann following his release (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)
Dam Sith with SRP MP Kuoy Bunroeun following his release (Photo: Koh Santepheap)
Dam Sith talking to reporters following his releaser (Photo: Koh Santepheap)Original report from Phnom Penh
16 June 2008
Opposition editor Dam Sith vowed on Monday to continue critical coverage of the government following his release on bail Sunday, with defamation and disinformation charges still pending.
Dam Sith, who is the defendant in a suit led by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, was jailed for a week and became the center of debate over media freedom and pre-election intimidation.
The editor said Monday his stance was the same and his newspaper was publishing as it did before, criticizing the government on corruption issues and standing for the opposition party.
Dam Sith was released following an official request from Prime Minister Hun Sen delivered to Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Chhay Kong Saturday.
In an interview with VOA Khmer Monday, Dam Sith said he was thankful to Hun Sen, but he said, "My newspaper will never change. We will always publish criticism of the government."
The newspaper, Moneaksekar Khmer, was established Aug. 4, 1994, and has continuously supported the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, Dam Sith said. The black-and-white paper is a daily publication of four pages, one broadsheet folded in half.
The arrest of Dam Sith was part of a long line of intimidation and threats, said Sam Rainsy Party Secretary-General Eng Chhay Ieng.
Opposition journalists always receive threats, he said, and over the years at least one has been killed.
Nun Chan, editor-in-chief of the opposition paper Serei Pheap Thmei, or New Freedom, was shot dead in 1995.
Dam Sith, who is the defendant in a suit led by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, was jailed for a week and became the center of debate over media freedom and pre-election intimidation.
The editor said Monday his stance was the same and his newspaper was publishing as it did before, criticizing the government on corruption issues and standing for the opposition party.
Dam Sith was released following an official request from Prime Minister Hun Sen delivered to Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Chhay Kong Saturday.
In an interview with VOA Khmer Monday, Dam Sith said he was thankful to Hun Sen, but he said, "My newspaper will never change. We will always publish criticism of the government."
The newspaper, Moneaksekar Khmer, was established Aug. 4, 1994, and has continuously supported the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, Dam Sith said. The black-and-white paper is a daily publication of four pages, one broadsheet folded in half.
The arrest of Dam Sith was part of a long line of intimidation and threats, said Sam Rainsy Party Secretary-General Eng Chhay Ieng.
Opposition journalists always receive threats, he said, and over the years at least one has been killed.
Nun Chan, editor-in-chief of the opposition paper Serei Pheap Thmei, or New Freedom, was shot dead in 1995.
9 comments:
សូមកែតំរូវ ២០០៨ ជា ១៩៩៨ វិញ៖
នៅថ្ងៃ ៥-៦ កក្កដា ១៩៩៧ ហ៊ុន សែនបានធ្វើរដ្ឋប្រហារ ដោយអាវុធ (មានទ័ពយួនគាំទ្រដោយសំងាត់ និយាយតេអូឆ្លងឆ្លើយ សុទ្ធជាភាសាយួន) ទំលាក់នរោត្តម រណរិទ្ធ ព្រោះហ៊ុន សែនមិនសង្ឃឹមថា អាចយកប្រៀបលើនរោត្តម រណរិទ្ធបាន នៅពេលបោះឆ្នោតឆ្នាំ ១៩៩៨ ហើយហ៊ុន សែននឹងច្បាស់ជាគ្មានបានងារ ជានាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រីទី ២ ទៀតឡើយ។
The court should give this defamation case top priority in order to protect Cambodia from Ah Commie Scam Rainxy's propaganda.
Throw this mother fucker Viet dog eater @7:12AM in jail for loitering KI-Media, please?
this fucking idiot 7:12am Xipee Xipee tmil Yuon's servsant, causing khmers 's society unrest Go back 2 Tonkin...ok..? motherfucker...idiot
7:12 AM
BUNRANY cunt LICKER with HUN SEN sperm still inside , keep up your crapy comments , otherwise BUNRANY wouldn't let let you lick her cunt any more ... YOU FUCKIN AH JCHAY ARNG GAY CEE..
DIE YOU DOG ( 7:12AM )
BAVO BRAVO KHMER HERO BRAVO BRAVO
HUN SEN are very nervouse about his defeat in the coming up election ... go to hell HUN SAD BLACK LIPS , BAR REY SLERK SANG GAY are still waiting for you after your defeat , you UNEDUCATE YOUN dog..
In the west it’s called the “spin” given to a story in the news. Here the spin is to characterize the jailing as oppression of the press for political gain.
The reality is that a politician made public remarks about a citizen who is holding high public office which the public official denies and says has imputed his character. Under the law of Cambodia (the same law exists in every country of the world) the person who claims he was defamed can ask the prosecutor to fill the case against the alleged person who defamed him. In Cambodia, as in most civil law jurisdictions such as France, defamation is a crime. If the same allegedly defamatory remarks are repeated, or in this case published in a news paper by a third party, that third party can be filed upon by the court for defamation or disinformation (UNTAC Article 32 & 33). Now that the 3rd party has been released on bail, the spin is interesting to watch.
Uneducated See Pee Pee resorts to violence and detention as a means to intimidate SRP.
Well, if the SRP keep on slandering Khmer people, we will let them have it.
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