Hang Chakra (Photo: Sok Serey, RFA)10 September 2009
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
A source from the ministry of Information claimed that Hang Chakra, the editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, wrote a personal apology letter to Sok An in order to seek intervention so that he may be released from jail.
Khieu Kanharith, the minister of Information and spokesman for the government, told RFA that he received Hang Chakra’s letter on Tuesday. The letter was sent out from Prey Sar prison.
Khieu Kanharith said that he informed this case to Sok An already, as well as to 5 other media associations. He hopes that there will another legal mean to lift the accusation against Hang Chakra so that the latter can be freed. However, the case will take a long time because of the difficulties stemming from the case being in the hand of the court.
Am Sam Ath, director of investigation for the Licadho human rights organization, told RFA on 10 September that: “We hope that Mr. Hang Chakra will be freed to pursue his journalist profession again.”
Regarding the case above, Chuong Chou-ngy, Hang Chakra’s defense lawyer, said that he did not hear about this apology letter yet. “I don’t know about that issue, but I heard that a number of journalists are talking about this case,” Chuon Chou-ngy said.
At the same time, Licadho activists and Hang Chakra’s family members plan to visit him at Prey Sar prison on Thursday 10 September to check on his health condition.
Hang Chakra, the editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper which supports the opposition SRP party, was sentenced by the Phnom Penh municipal court to 12-month of jail and he was also fined 9 million riels ($2,250) for disinformation when his newspapers published in April and May articles titled: “PM Hun Xen breaks up the nest of bad and corrupt officials around Sok An” and “Several pro-Sok An officials face removal from their position.”
On 11 August, the Appeal Court upheld the sentence above, and it also ordered that Hang Chakra be held in jail.
Local and international human rights activists, as well as opposition politicians called this jailing of a journalist: the silencing of critics and freedom of expression.
5 comments:
After tried a bitter test in Prey Sar prison for a while, Mr. Hang Chakra agreed to write apology letter to Mr. Sok An.
I hope he can get out from prison soon and enjoy Phcum Ben with his family.
Anti-government and CPP like you play with fire.
Why apology ? if you apology it means you were wrong and asking for an excuse . If you were not wrong no need to apology .
why apology. you were not wrong. around the world know those officials are corrupted. so you apologize to the corruptor? what make you?
Sok An is Hun Sen's boss. He can steer Cambodia and its people where ever he wants, so Mr. Hang Chakra makes the right move at this point.
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