Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Cambodia Daily’s editor-in-chief sentenced for spreading defamation news

SRP MP Ho Vann

22 September 2009

By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Click here to read the article in Khmer


The Phnom Penh municipal court sentenced the editor-in-chief of The Cambodia Daily newspaper and one of its reporters for spreading defamation information.

The Phnom Penh municipal court delivered is verdict on 22 September and Kevin Doyle, the editor-in-chief of The Cambodia Daily, as well as Neou Vannarin, a reporter for The Cambodia Daily, were both sentenced with a 4 million riels (~$1,000) fine each for spreading defamation news, however the court dropped the charge against SRP MP Ho Vann.

Sin Visal, the judge for the Phnom Penh municipal court, read the verdict sentencing 41-year-old Kevin Doyle and 26-year-old Neou Vannarin to pay 4 million riels in fine each for spreading defamation news in a report published on 21 April 2009.

The judge also announced that it dropped the defamation charge against 62-year-old SRP MP Ho Vann.

SRP MP Chea Poch, who attended the verdict announcement, told reporters outside the courtroom that he is very pleased by this verdict.

Chea Poch said: “I believe that this is good, and it [helps] push Cambodia towards democracy. Just now, I called my colleagues to tell them to announce the news to Mr. Ho Vann immediately so that he returns back to Cambodia.”

Kevin Doyle indicated that he has no comment on this issue.

Am Sam Ath, the investigation director for the Licadho human rights group said: “Dropping the charges against Mr. Ho Vann is correct, however, the sentence on the editor-in-chief of The Cambodia Daily and one of its reporters to pay 4 million riels in fine, this is not fair for the pair.”

Chan Soveth, an investigation official for the Adhoc human rights group, declared: “However, we regret to see the sentence on the reporters, this is why our news media are also facing with problems. The attention is a lesson for reporters, they must be responsible for this problem.”

The announcement of the verdict takes place after the court held a hearing in this case on 09 September.

SRP MP Ho Vann was sued by 22 high-ranking army officers for defamation after he made a comment to The Cambodia Daily on 20 April in which he allegedly accused the diplomas obtained by these high-ranking army officers, who completed their degrees in Vietnam, as being valueless and lacking in quality. Later on, he apologized and asked the newspaper to publish a correction.

The Cambodia Daily which quoted Ho Vann was also subjected to the lawsuit and it was charged with spreading defamation.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am really glad to see that the court handed down the verdict. I believe that decision is appropriately made for the integrity of the court.

Now the real works are to be implemented,hopefully politicians work towards implementation of our national constitution as framework, as set out to achieve and recorgnised by our country and international communities.

It would be fruitful if corruption laws delivered for better management in cambodia.

Neang SA

Anonymous said...

There is no doubt that whenever the Court found not guilty or dropped the charge against any SRP MP, the SRP will applause to the Court's verdict, but if the same Court found guilty of any SRP MP, the SRP will condemn to the Court. That is the pattern of SRP, the party always been a loser.

Anonymous said...

You can't say it! Hear no evil
You can't write it! Speak no evil
You can't touch it! See no evil

IT'S HUNSEN NATION REGULATION LAW!

1. You abroad and welcome aboard
2. arrested for big mouth
3. court appearance with bail
4. innocent proven until guilty
5. jailed for bad reputation
6. shamed on you

Anonymous said...

who is HO VAN? HO..> look like HO CHIMINH last name, VAN it's means khmer call BAT or KNHOM...

IF SO... it's mean KBAL YOURN KHLOUN KHMER...

WHERE'S HE BORN? WHAT'S HIS BACK GROWN???

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...
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មិនមែនជាជនជាតិខ្មែរក៏ដោយក៏ត្រូវគោរពសិទ្ទិ
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ដែលមិនមែនជាឈាមជ័រជាខ្មែរគេមើលឃើញថា
ប្រជាជនខ្មែរពីដើមជាឈាមជ័ររបស់ខ្មែរហើយគេ
នៅគោរពគ្នានឹងគ្នាសាម្គីភាពរវាងរដ្ធាភិបាលនឹងប្រជាជនខ្មែរទូរទាំងប្រទេស។វិទ្យុទាំងពីរហ្នឹងមិនមែន
យករឿងអ្នកនយោបាយមករិះគន់ទេគឺគេយកបុគ្គលមករិះគន់ទៅវិញ។អត្ថបទមួយណាក៏មានមិនមានការរិះគន់រាជរដ្ធាភិបាលដែរគឺជាបុគ្គលសុទ្ធសាទ
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រស់នៅបណ្តោយតាមផ្លូវរទះភ្លើងឥញ្ចឹងពួកគាត់មិន
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ទាំងនោះទៅបោះទីតាំងនៅកន្លែងថ្មីទេគឺគេយកពាក្យបណ្តេញប្រជាពលរដ្ធខ្មែរទៅវិញនេះគឺជាពាក្យ
អសុរស់ដល់រាជរដ្ធាភិបាលកម្ពុជាមែនទែន។រិះគន់
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ភិបាលទេគឺការញុះញង់ប្រជាពលរដ្ធខ្មែរដែលលោករស់នៅពាស់ពេញភិភពលោកឲ្យជឿតាមពួកគាត់
។បើតាមការគិតរបស់ខ្ញុំអ្នកទាំងនោះមិនមានសិលធម៍ចំពោះប្រជាជនខ្មែរទេថ្វីបើពួកគេរៀនសូត្របាន
ខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់មែនប៉ុន្តែមិនត្រូវប្រើនៅពាក្យសំដីតាមផ្នល់
មកនិយាយស្តីចំពោះរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលកម្ពុជាទេ។សូម
ប្រយ័ត្នឲ្យមែនទែនក្រែងលោប្រមុខរាជរដ្ធាភិបាល
លោកប្តឹងតបមកវិញហើយអាងអាមេរិកាំងជួយឬ?
អសលោកលោកស្រីនៅកន្លែងណាក៏គេអាចប្តឹងបានដែរកុំថាមិននិយាយហើយថាគេខ្លាចគេមិនខ្លាចទេ។ខ្ញុំដឹងហើយអស់លោកទាំងនោះនៅសហរដ្ធអា
មេរិកមិនមានជាលក្ខណជាខ្មែរទេគឺពួកគេជាជនបរទេសប៉ុន្តែកុំមើលងាយខ្មែរឲ្យសោះ។អ្នកទាំងនោះ
មិនដែលយករឿងបងប្អូនខ្មែរដែលលោករស់នៅ
អាមេរិកមកនិយាយទេដោយគេចាត់ទុកថាពល
រដ្ធខ្មែរទាំងនោះមិនមែនជាតិសាស្ត្ររបស់គេទេ។

10:41 PM

Anonymous said...

This is Hun xen tastical

Anonymous said...

Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:

Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention


Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:

Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Executions
Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son 
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed 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.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters. 
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
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.

Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice. 

Anonymous said...

i know, it is when some individual are politicizing the situation that became troublesome. not a good or smart way to politicize the situation, not only it is a sign of bias, it is unethical for journalism as well, really!