Tue Aug 4, 2009
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A Cambodian court ordered an opposition lawmaker to pay $4,100 in damages on Tuesday for defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen, provoking fresh concerns the government is using the judiciary to suppress its detractors.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court ruled that Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party had defamed the long-serving premier when she tried to sue him over comments he made about her conduct during last year's election campaign.
Critics said the ruling reflected Hun Sen's determination to use the courts to muzzle the opposition.
"That was not justice in the courtroom. It was totally political," Sochua told reporters, who were banned from attending the court session.
"I will continue to fight until I get justice. Today, the court could have been a light for justice. The judge gave us darkness instead."
Sochua, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for her work against the trafficking of women in Cambodia, and another lawmaker, Ho Vann, were stripped of their legal immunity last month and lost their seats in parliament as a result.
Vann is accused of spreading false information and faces three years in prison.
Newspaper editor Hang Chkra is serving a one-year sentence in Phnom Penh for writing about alleged government corruption. An opposition activist, Moeung Sonn, fled the country in June after being given a two-year sentence for questioning a lighting system at the famed Angkor Wat temple complex, the country's biggest tourism draw.
Another opposition newspaper shut down after 10 years of publishing to avoid government legal action.
Sara Colm of New York-based Human Rights Watch told Reuters on Tuesday: "This is the most serious crackdown on freedom of expression in years. The space for opposition media and peaceful dissent is rapidly shrinking."
"These lawsuits are a clear attempt to harass the opposition and prevent members of parliament from exercising free expression."
Colm urged donors, who provided nearly $1 billion in aid last year, to make the government aware of their concerns.
"Donors -- particularly those who have funded judicial and legal reform -- need to take a firm stand," she said.
Human Rights Watch also called for an end to using the judiciary as a tool to silence government critics.
Sam Rainsy, leader of the country's largest opposition party which carries his name, said the court ruling had drawn attention to Hun Sen's attempts to intimidate his opponents.
"It may be a judicial defeat, but it is a moral and political victory for us as the opposition," he said.
Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge guerrilla, criticised rights groups and foreign diplomats last month for interfering in Cambodia's affairs after they voiced concern about the removal of lawmakers' parliamentary immunity.
He has dominated Cambodian politics for more than two decades and won a landslide election victory in July last year.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court ruled that Mu Sochua of the Sam Rainsy Party had defamed the long-serving premier when she tried to sue him over comments he made about her conduct during last year's election campaign.
Critics said the ruling reflected Hun Sen's determination to use the courts to muzzle the opposition.
"That was not justice in the courtroom. It was totally political," Sochua told reporters, who were banned from attending the court session.
"I will continue to fight until I get justice. Today, the court could have been a light for justice. The judge gave us darkness instead."
Sochua, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for her work against the trafficking of women in Cambodia, and another lawmaker, Ho Vann, were stripped of their legal immunity last month and lost their seats in parliament as a result.
Vann is accused of spreading false information and faces three years in prison.
Newspaper editor Hang Chkra is serving a one-year sentence in Phnom Penh for writing about alleged government corruption. An opposition activist, Moeung Sonn, fled the country in June after being given a two-year sentence for questioning a lighting system at the famed Angkor Wat temple complex, the country's biggest tourism draw.
Another opposition newspaper shut down after 10 years of publishing to avoid government legal action.
Sara Colm of New York-based Human Rights Watch told Reuters on Tuesday: "This is the most serious crackdown on freedom of expression in years. The space for opposition media and peaceful dissent is rapidly shrinking."
"These lawsuits are a clear attempt to harass the opposition and prevent members of parliament from exercising free expression."
Colm urged donors, who provided nearly $1 billion in aid last year, to make the government aware of their concerns.
"Donors -- particularly those who have funded judicial and legal reform -- need to take a firm stand," she said.
Human Rights Watch also called for an end to using the judiciary as a tool to silence government critics.
Sam Rainsy, leader of the country's largest opposition party which carries his name, said the court ruling had drawn attention to Hun Sen's attempts to intimidate his opponents.
"It may be a judicial defeat, but it is a moral and political victory for us as the opposition," he said.
Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge guerrilla, criticised rights groups and foreign diplomats last month for interfering in Cambodia's affairs after they voiced concern about the removal of lawmakers' parliamentary immunity.
He has dominated Cambodian politics for more than two decades and won a landslide election victory in July last year.
15 comments:
The verdict is out; the guilty one must respect the court's decision whether you like it or not -- it's the law -- and the court has found her guilty. Therefore, if she does not accept the court verdict, she's not respecting the law of the country. After all, she's one of the law maker (how ironic?).
The judge was judicially interpreted the law--not legislate from the bench. Therefore, it is not ignominiously to acknowledge the guilt, since the culprit one was the one who perpetrated this act.
PPU
See, as I said 10 days ago that "If the Court found the disgrace Mu Sochua not guilty, SRP and its stupid supporters will applause that the Court is independent and impartial, by contract, if the same Court found the disgrace Mu Sochua guilty, SRP and its supporters will point their fingers blame to the Court". Now, it becomes the reality. So, as long as Cambodia's court doesn't give any verdict which is disgrace Mu Sochua wanted, SRP and its supporters will condemn to the Court no matter what they have broken the laws in Cambodia.
If the disgrace Mu Sochua is brave as she always said all along that, she's happy going to jail rather than pay the fine, she should honour her word and don't need to pay fine 16.5 Million Riel and let see what will happen??
In my view, I am sure that she will pay the fine and uses SRP's policy which wants to end this defamation case as an excuse to cover up her coward act.
Khmer Australian
It's been known before hand what was aimed in this law suit. No even need Sam Rainsy to speak it out.
But at least his party has done something in the position as the opposition..........
The verdict is obviously predictable.
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Tortures
Executions
Massacres
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Overwork to Death
Slavery
Rapes
Human Abuses
Assault and Battery
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leader of the Free Trade Union
Attempted Assassinations on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
Attempted Murders on Chea Vichea and Sam Rainsy
Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders members and activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Killings
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and others military official on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Remove Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Under Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed all of these crimes above within Hun Sen Khmer Rouge government have ever been brought to justice.
If Mu Sochua agreed to pay fine 16.5 Million Riel means she is a coward woman who is wearing a brave jacket to promote her political stunt.
sa tu sa tu..!!
Tver laor ban laor, Tver ah krok ban ah krok..!!
Real winners: Hun Sen, Sam Rainsy, and Sochua
Losers: whoever donated to pay the fines
Let me tell you something for those who read my comment. You are not doing anything good for the country by supporting any group of political party. You're just contributing to a clan of people that you want to be part of. So don't go around thinking like you have done so much for the country with your money when in reality all the money you spent went toward benefiting an exclusive group only.
Stop being a fucking political tool that feel the need to belong so much and be your own independent person. Stop giving money to politician and instead go to build and do shit for the people. That is what contributing to the country really means.
The verdict is nothing more than to please Hun Sen hot temper and politically blind trying to muzzle the opposition voice to show the average Cambodian people of their rights to defend themselves even it means suing the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Sun Sen in this case.
In anyone's right mind, Cambodian court is biased, politically connected and corrupt. It is not just a known fact but a real live experience for average Cambodians everyday in so called the Cambodian (in)justice system.
I wonder how the poster #1 and #2 think or feel if you were treated the same way...
The judge Sem Sokala is a monkey judge. The court system is a monkey court in the jungle. If this judge did not favor Hun Xen and he doesn't have bananas to eat.
Do like I do - do not give a shit about ah PPU. End of story!
I don’t agree with everything Hun Sen does, but to me and many other Khmers, he’s the most capable we have now. KI Media team, KY, and alike, are already upset with my statement – I can feel it! However, the truth is the truth either you like it or not. Look at how the SRP party and leadership handles this case? It makes me laugh when I think about it. SRP party and leadership may have all the best intentions for the country, but having the best intentions alone without the brain is not enough! That brings up another interesting point – where are the Khmer intellectuals and shining stars? Why don’t they come out and support SRP if Sam Rainsy is such a good leader and Hun Sen is such a bad leader? I leave you folks to decide yourself.
Do like I do - do not give a shit about ah PPU. End of story!
And because of that this Viet's slave known as PPU has already changed his signature to something else or to no signature at all just like 11:35 PM for instance!!!
CPP (Criminal Politic People) vs. SRP (Save repentance People)
CPP (Corpes of Pol Pot)
PPU (Prosecute People Union)
ppls found ppu mother's pussy in hanoi.
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