Written by Meas Sokchea and Robbie Corey-Boulet
The Phnom Penh Post
Public row between PM and SRP lawmaker Mu Sochua goes to judge’s chambers
Phnom Penh Municipal Court heard arguments Thursday from the lawyers for opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua and Prime Minister Hun Sen, as it opened the first hearings in a very public defamation row that has drawn increasing attention from Cambodian and international observers.
Mu Sochua said Thursday evening that her lawyer, Kong Sam Onn, presented prosecutor Hing Bun Chea with evidence detailing every aspect of her case, which she argues stems from an April 4 speech in Kampot during which Hun Sen called her a cheung klang, or "strong leg", a term viewed by some as particularly offensive to women.
She said the evidence included a transcript of the speech, as well as all documents pertaining to an altercation that occurred during last year's election in which she claimed an army general tore a button from her blouse and exposed her bra.
During the speech, Hun Sen referred to a "strong female MP from the opposition party in Kampot" who lost a button on her shirt while running around embracing people. He did not name Mu Sochua.
Hun Sen has repeatedly denied that the April 4 comments referred to Mu Sochua.
On the same day that Mu Sochua filed her suit, April 27, he filed a countersuit claiming that Mu Sochua had defamed him by saying the comments he made referred to her.
In an interview after the hearing, Ky Tech, Hun Sen's lawyer, declined to comment in detail about the evidence he presented to the prosecutors.
"This is the first step," he said. "They asked me what reason I had for pressing the case and I explained."
The duelling defamation cases continued to draw international attention this week, with Human Rights Watch issuing a statement Tuesday criticising Hun Sen's threat to have Mu Sochua's parliamentary immunity lifted.
Om Yentieng, one of Hun Sen's advisers and president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, told Cambodian media April 24 that ruling party MPs might meet to discuss suspending her parliamentary immunity.
Hun Sen said in an April 29 speech that lifting Mu Sochua's immunity would be "easier than peeling a banana".
"This is yet another blatant attempt to silence the political opposition," said HRW Asia director Brad Adams. "By threatening to prosecute opposition members of parliament on bogus charges, Hun Sen shows once again that his goal is elective dictatorship, not a genuinely pluralistic democracy."
The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) issued a statement Thursday that also decried threats made to lift Mu Sochua's parliamentary immunity.
"CALD upholds respect for the rule of law and urges that Mr Hun Sen and the majority bloc in the parliament refrain from lifting any member of parliament's immunity unless there is compelling evidence cited for damages," the statement reads.
Kong Sam Onn said after the hearings Thursday that he had requested the court ask the National Assembly to hold a vote on whether to lift Prime Minister Hun Sen's parliamentary immunity.
Mu Sochua described this move as an attempt to "make the process equal", saying, "If immunity is being lifted, it should be done on an equal basis."
Looking ahead
Reached Thursday evening, Hing Bun Chea said he did not know when the next meetings related to the case would be held.
Sok Roeun, the prosecutor in the case filed by Hun Sen, declined on Thursday to comment about the hearings and future proceedings.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court heard arguments Thursday from the lawyers for opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua and Prime Minister Hun Sen, as it opened the first hearings in a very public defamation row that has drawn increasing attention from Cambodian and international observers.
Mu Sochua said Thursday evening that her lawyer, Kong Sam Onn, presented prosecutor Hing Bun Chea with evidence detailing every aspect of her case, which she argues stems from an April 4 speech in Kampot during which Hun Sen called her a cheung klang, or "strong leg", a term viewed by some as particularly offensive to women.
She said the evidence included a transcript of the speech, as well as all documents pertaining to an altercation that occurred during last year's election in which she claimed an army general tore a button from her blouse and exposed her bra.
During the speech, Hun Sen referred to a "strong female MP from the opposition party in Kampot" who lost a button on her shirt while running around embracing people. He did not name Mu Sochua.
Hun Sen has repeatedly denied that the April 4 comments referred to Mu Sochua.
On the same day that Mu Sochua filed her suit, April 27, he filed a countersuit claiming that Mu Sochua had defamed him by saying the comments he made referred to her.
In an interview after the hearing, Ky Tech, Hun Sen's lawyer, declined to comment in detail about the evidence he presented to the prosecutors.
"This is the first step," he said. "They asked me what reason I had for pressing the case and I explained."
The duelling defamation cases continued to draw international attention this week, with Human Rights Watch issuing a statement Tuesday criticising Hun Sen's threat to have Mu Sochua's parliamentary immunity lifted.
Om Yentieng, one of Hun Sen's advisers and president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, told Cambodian media April 24 that ruling party MPs might meet to discuss suspending her parliamentary immunity.
Hun Sen said in an April 29 speech that lifting Mu Sochua's immunity would be "easier than peeling a banana".
"This is yet another blatant attempt to silence the political opposition," said HRW Asia director Brad Adams. "By threatening to prosecute opposition members of parliament on bogus charges, Hun Sen shows once again that his goal is elective dictatorship, not a genuinely pluralistic democracy."
The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) issued a statement Thursday that also decried threats made to lift Mu Sochua's parliamentary immunity.
"CALD upholds respect for the rule of law and urges that Mr Hun Sen and the majority bloc in the parliament refrain from lifting any member of parliament's immunity unless there is compelling evidence cited for damages," the statement reads.
Kong Sam Onn said after the hearings Thursday that he had requested the court ask the National Assembly to hold a vote on whether to lift Prime Minister Hun Sen's parliamentary immunity.
Mu Sochua described this move as an attempt to "make the process equal", saying, "If immunity is being lifted, it should be done on an equal basis."
Looking ahead
Reached Thursday evening, Hing Bun Chea said he did not know when the next meetings related to the case would be held.
Sok Roeun, the prosecutor in the case filed by Hun Sen, declined on Thursday to comment about the hearings and future proceedings.
18 comments:
If the prosecutor and a judge are not bought off by Hun Sen, there will be something very interesting to listen to, I guess.
I totally agree with ya!
I still highly admire her encouragement to stand tall against Hun SenVarman, and SamRainsy must be bravely followed her respectful decision.
Hey dude. Keep the word "varman" out. None of Cambodian leaders today deserve to be called "varman". Let's not confuse people about he has any relationship with the great Khmer King Jayavarman. If you don't help, let's not hurt.
Cambodian Town
Long Beach, Ca
MP Mu Sochua had praised god for help when she had chosen brain lobster to be her boss. Even thought, SRP members, supporters they were undifferent from brain lobster, unexperience in politic, it was just a novice whom gain the knowledge from the book. In constrary, Samdech Deycho Hun Sen had a talent, destiny to lead the country, then experience in several years in politic and various fields.
New Phally
Now, the best defense for hun sen is that he didn't mentioned her name. If he is a strong man, he don't need to play coward. Come out and say to the women face and name.
A man beating around the bushes is no man.
New Phally,
hun sen' talent end result is leading khmer to death, debt and starvation, and slaves to countries around cambodia.
New Phally came from Sun Sen's shit. Even Hun Sen's shit, New Phally thinks it smells good... Anyway, only idiot thinks idiot is good... basically they are the same old shits.
Hun Sen is a cow or a dog!!
Md Sochou, we are moved and inspired by your brave action against wild dog, Hun Sen!! Go go,, we are with you!!
To New Phally,
Every time I see your name and your comments on this blog, I always think of you in my mind's image as a selfish, conscienceless, ass-kissing, less-educated type of person.
I want to tell you that only a fool thinks like a fool, and only an idiot acts like an idiot. And you fit just perfectly the charateristics of these kinds of people for you think and act just like them.
Shame on you!
Your name stinks wherever you appear on this blog. Your writing, your thinking, your everythink stinks, stinks and stinks.
Yes, you are right 2:12AM. Reading his comments, I know right away that the thing called New Phally was one of good dogs of Hun Sen, recently sent to Long Beach to bark for him. This dog is not Khmer; he's a young Yuon born in Cambodia. He studied English from a Khmer English teacher, that's why he never know the right words to use in his sentence, but since Hun Sen has hired him at the cost of one dried bone per day, he has to do his job as a barking dog. A barking dog seldom bite. He just bar for his living, and especially, he wants his voice heard in this blog.
To be an efficient dog barking in Long Beach for Hun Sen, you need to study US-English style. All your comments are loaded with English-Khmer style.
the irony is that Hun Sen is way, way smarter than the dumb New Phally...
The best way to resolve this is to have the court mediating the reconciliation between PM HS and MP Mu, and have them both expressing regrets and apologizing to one another. This way would allow everyone to save face and coming out like matured politicians/persons that they should be.
Dear Ki-media readers,
There was a quote from a previous post as followed, "If she can fight for herself, she can fight for all, while most powerful women chose to shut up." 12:38 AM
This was his statement... not mine. And also that was how he thought about the powerful ones (including our MP Mu Sochua's renowned young friend). It's okay because he has every right to think that way, but to me, I see it differently.
In fact, while Mrs. Mu Sochua is fighting for justice, I’m positively convinced that others do too. For instance, as our MP Mu Sochua is suing Hun Sen for his barbaric mind and behavior, her well-regarded young friend is consulting International community leaders for support. She recently flew to Washington to meet up with several famous friends to discuss the ‘MP Mu Sochua - HS Lawsuit’ in which Mrs. Mu Sochua is facing.
Yet a time came when she (our dear MP Mu Sochua's FRIEND) felt as if it was her duty to plunge into politics and do her best to show that Hun Sen is to a great extent in the WRONG. She even traveled with uneasiness because she is suffering from a minor illness and hopelessly struggling with pain. You see how much trouble she got into? It's just she does it unnoticeably. Besides, it is her way to go quietly.
So my friend(s), before you condemn others, please keeps this in mind, “Les tonneaux vides sont ceux qui font le plus de bruit.” Jew proverb quote
An American-Cambodian friend of her
លោក New Phally មិនត្រឹមតែសរសេរភាសា
អង់គ្លេសតាមរបៀបខ្មែរនោះទេវាថែមទាំង
សរសេរពាក្យខ្លះមិនត្រឹមត្រូវថែមទៀតផង។គួរឲ្យ
ស្តាយដែរ ឭថាលោកជាទីប្រឹក្សារបស់ឯកឧត្តម
អនុប្រធានរដ្ឋសភាផង។ដូច្នេះ ឯកឧត្តមនោះគួរ
តែ សុំទោសមិនមែនគួរតែទេ គឺត្រូវតែជំរុះទីប្រឹក្សា
ដែលមិនសូវមានការអប់រំរូបនេះចោល។
ស១ម
Yeah! That Jewish proverb quote can be easily applied to New Phally as well and to those who have nothing in the brain but talk BIG and LOUD.
Yeah! Especially Hun Sen and his cronies!!
អ្នកឯងសរសេរនៅក្នុង(blogger.com)នេះចង់
ឲ្យតែខ្មែរទាស់ទែងគ្នានឹងគ្នាប៉ុណ្ណឹងឯងមិនដែលបានធ្វើឲ្យខ្មែររួមសាម្គីគ្នាទេហើយម្យាងវិញទៀតអួត
ខ្លួនឯងថាស្នេហាប្រទេសជាតិណាស់។អ្នកឯងទាំង
អស់នេះហើយដែលគេតែងតែនិយាយថាណារ៉ាយ
នៅក្នុងភាពយន្តឥណ្ឌាដែលតែងតែញុះញង់
ឲ្យខ្មែរនឹងខ្មែរមើលមុខគ្នាមិនចំហើយក៏ក្លាយទៅ
ជាមានជម្លោះគ្នានឹងគ្នាមិនចេះចប់សោះនៅក្នុង
សត្តវត្តិនេះ។នៅក្នុងពិភពលោកគេបានសរសើរ
ខ្មែរថាភាពជឿនលឿនយ៉ាងឆាប់រហាស់ក្នុងរយ
ពេលដ៏ខ្លីសោះ។មានតែខ្មែរមួយក្រុមទេដែលថា
ប្រទេសខ្មែរមិនមានភាពជឿនលឿន។ដួច្នេះខ្មែរ
ទាំងនោះមិនចង់ឲ្យប្រទេសខ្មែរមានភាពជឿនលឿ
នទេគឺពួកគេចង់ឲ្យតែខ្មែរធ្លាក់ក្នុងរណ្ណៅមិន
ឲ្យងើបរួចឡើយ។ដួច្នេះខ្មែរទាំងនោះគឺអាចហៅ
បានថាអ្នកទាំងនោះគឺកំពុងក្បត់ជាតិហើយ។
ខ្មែរទាំងក្នុងប្រទេសនឹងក្រៅប្រទេសមិនបណ្ណោយ
ឲ្យអ្នកឯងប៉ុន្នាននាក់ហ្នឹងបំប្លាញជាតិបានទេ
នៅក្នុងសម័យនេះ។អ្នកឯងត្រូវរងចាំមើលថាតើ
អ្នកប្រឆំាងអាចយកជ័យជុំនះលើរដ្ធាភិបាល
សព្វថ្ងៃឬក៏អត់។បើតាមខ្ញុំគិតមិនអាចទេគឺមួយ
ជីវិតអ្នកប្រឆំាងមិនមានពេលឈ្នះរដ្ធាភិបាល
សព្វថ្ងៃទេ។បើសំដីរបស់អ្នកឃោសនាក្នុងការ
បោះឆ្នោតមិនមានពាក្យមួយមាត់ណាឲ្យប្រទេស
ខ្មែរមានស្តេចមានសាសនាមានការលួតលាស់
នៅក្នុងពេលមានអំណាចនៅក្នុងដៃនោះទេគឺមាន
តែពាក្យសំដីច្រណែននិន្ទាគ្នានឹងគ្នាប៉ុណ្ណឹងឯង។
11:12 AM
Hey Mr. American-Cambodian Friend of Her,
Where did you get that Jewish proverb quote? I really like that!!! I have no ideas that some members of the new generation are even more cultured than I thought! Well, you know what, I'm very proud of them.
So go on, do your duty and be loyal to your beloved Cambodia, my brothers and sisters! Indeed, I have always thought that there must be some loyal members of the new generation that are strong enough to stand for the rights of their people. I'm smiling with tears because it gives me hope to know that a ray of a new era is born.
Thank you brothers and sisters for your kindness, thank you very much!
Your PP Brother
4:36am
Why would Huynh Sen do that.... when he can threatened the lively hood of the judge and M. Suchea?
Care to elaborate what remarks that M. Suchea allegedly defame Huynh Sen?
Last, Huynh Sen just need to shut his filthy mouth or get his 200 advisors to write his speech.
Then again, never mind..........he can't read.
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