Saturday, September 12, 2009

Jailed Journalist Seeks To Apologize

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
11 September 2009


Hang Chakra, who is facing a yearlong jail term for defamation charges, has said in a letter he would like to apologize to a senior minister implicated in corruption by his newspaper.

Editor of the Khmer Mchas Srok newspaper, Hang Chakra was sentenced in July and fined 9 million riel, about $2,250, after publishing reports on alleged corruption at the powerful Council of Ministers, which is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.

Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said officials had received the letter and would provide it to Sok An on Monday.

In the letter, according to Phay Siphan, Hang Chakra “accepted the mistake of disinformation and expressed his regret for improperly writing some text in his newspaper, affecting the honor of Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.”

“He accepts his wrongdoing and requests a pardon,” Phay Siphan said.

Hang Chakra’s arrest and imprisonment came in July amid increasing concern the courts were used to punish government dissenters, after two opposition parliamentarians, Mu Sochua and Ho Vann, had their immunity stripped and another opposition journalist, Dam Sith, vowed to close his own newspaper rather than face similar charges.

Phay Siphan said Friday Hang Chakra should have apologized before his sentencing, because the government is interested in seeing information that follows a professional code of conduct.

Now, he said, “Prime Minister Hun Sen has the right to get Hang Chakra’s apology letter to request the king to pardon him.”

Journalist associations in August requested King Norodom Sihamoni pardon the jailed editor, with no result.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

i want cambodia to have freedom of speech.
it is the truth around the world that these leaders are the corruptors. it is in their blood.

Anonymous said...

The different between the two KR,PP an HS is that:
KR/PP : Torture to be confessed of being CIA and get Killed.
KR/HS: a: Kill.
b: Put in jail and seek confession. Once confessed, you might get release.
HS want to show that his regime is far better than his old brother PP.

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 Leader of the Free Trade Union
Executions
Executed members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered activists and members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killing innocent Khmer peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutality
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 other military officials were 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.
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
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, leader of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice. 

Anonymous said...

Nobody can write any news against the government corruption. If you do, you have to apologize to the bad government. Shame on the government. They never admit their guilt.

Anonymous said...

អ្នកដែលមានសញ្ជាតិពីរតែឥញ្ចឹងបើមានរឿងអ្វី
គឺបាតជើងសរព្រាតចោលប្រទេសជាតហើយមិន
ដែលគិតថាប្រជាជនខ្មែររងទុក្ខទោសដោយសារអ្វីមួយទេហើយខ្លួនឯងធ្វើខុសសោះទៅពឹងបរទេស
មកប្រឆាំងខ្មែរនៅឯស្រុកខ្លួនឯងនេះមិនខុសអំពី
កាលសម័យបូរាណដែលពលរដ្ធខ្មែរមួយចំនួន
បានចាញ់នៅអ្វីដែលខ្លួនធ្វើខុសហើយទៅពឹង
សៀមឲ្យជួយវ៉ាយប្រឆាំងជាមួយរដ្ធាភិបាលខ្មែរលុះ
ដល់ពេលគេជួយឈ្នះបរទេសក៏យកដីរបស់មួយ
ភាគធំនៅផ្នែកខាងលិចគឺសៀមតែម្តង។ដួច្នេះមិនខុសអំពីមួសុខហួទេដួចកាលពីជុំនាន់បូរាណទេស

ចំពោះអ្នកដែលមកជួយស្រីមួសុខហួរគេមិនដែលគិតអំពីប្រជនខ្មែរទេគេធ្វើយ៉ាងណាឲ្យតែបានឈ្នះ
ដើម្បីយកដីយកទឹកឲ្យទាល់តែបាន។សូមបងប្អូន
ខ្មែរត្រូវតែប្រុងប្រយ័ត្ននៅខ្មែររបៀបនេះ។ពលរដ្ធខ្មែរធ្លាប់បានដឹងឬហើយនៅអំពើខ្មែរមួយចំនួនបាន
ធ្វើឲ្យប្រទេសខ្មែរអសន្តិសុខពាសពេញប្រទេស
កុំថាអាមេរិកាំងជួយស្រីមួសុខហួចង់ឲ្យពិភពលោក
ជួយក៏ប្រជាពលរដ្ធខ្មែរមិនដែលញញើតដែរសូរ
ស្លាប់រស់ដើម្បីពលរដ្ធកម្ពុជា។សូមអរគុណស្រី
មួសុខហួហើយនឹងហួរវ៉ាន់ចេះរត់ទាន់ពេល
មកក្រៅប្រទេសប៉ុន្តែបើរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលចងចាប់
អ្នកទាំងពីរគឺគ្មានអ្វីពិបាកទេដោយរដ្ធាភិបាល
លោកគិតថាជាខ្មែរដួចគ្នា។អ្នកទាំងពីរនេះមិនបាន
មួយចំណិតបងប្អូនខ្មែរក្រហមដែលពួកគាត់បាន
ដើរផ្លូវខុសជាមួយខ្មែរក្រហមហើយបានបែរមក
ជាមួយរដ្ធាភិបាលដើម្បីក៏សាងជាតឲ្យបានរុងរឿង
ទៅអនាគតខាងមុខ។មិនខុសពីសម័យដើមដែល
ប្រជាជនខ្មែរច្រើននិយាយនោះទេគឺពីដើមមាន
អ្នកធំខ្មែរស្រឡាញ់ស្រីបរទេសហ៊ានឲ្យទឹកដីរបស់
ខ្លួនឲ្យទៅបរទេសដល់ពេលឥឡូវខ្មែរមានស្រីម្នាក់
ស្រឡាញ់បរទេសហើយឲ្យគេជួយវាយប្រហារ
ប្រទេសខ្លួនឯងទៅវិញ។សូមប្រជាជនខ្មែរទូរទាំង
ប្រទេសត្រូវប្រុងប្រយ័ត្ននៅស្រីយ៉ាងនេះឲ្យបាន
មែនទែន។សូមអរគុណ។

8:22 PM

Anonymous said...

No Apology, no Bail, no Appeal is accepcted. It is up to the Court decision.

Sign Sok An

Anonymous said...

Apology just for apology sake is not the way to go. Cambodia needs to strive for a just society where people can voice their opinions freely without being opress.

If Hang Chakra didnot do anything wrong, then he should not apologize to get himself out of the prison. Nelson mandela was jailed for 20 something years he never apologize to south african govt. later he was elect president of africa.
If Hang Chakra apolgizes then he's just another pussy

Anonymous said...

Same political game with Ah Khwak. An apology letter (win win strategy!), then you will be free. Look at Ah Sam Rainsy, he did it before Ah Khwak let him come back to Cambodia. How about Mu Sochua? I bet she will do the same.

Bravo Cambodia Strong Man Ah Khwak Hun Xen, even Ah Ta Sihanouk did it too.

Anonymous said...

ចំពោះអាកញ្ជះយួន 8:22 AM សព្វថ្ងៃនេះពួកអាឯងទាំងអស់គ្នាកំពុងតែលក់ទឹកដីឲ្យួយួនអាខ្វាក់ចៅហ្វាយអាឯងគង់មានថ្ងៃអន្សាមកដល់មិនខានឡើយ-ចូរចាំទុក!!រាស្រ្តខ្មែរគ្រប់គ្នា
មិនមែនសុទ្ធតែអ្នកល្ងង់មិនយល់អ្វីសោះដូចអាគាត់គិតនោះទេ!!!!!កុំសូវគ្អ៊រគ្អ៊ារពេកអញជ្រិញ
ណាស់-អញសូមប្រាប់អាឯងរឿងមួយ=ពេលនេះ
ទឹកឡើងត្រីស៊ីស្រមោច-លុះដល់ទឹកវាហោចគឺ
ត្រូវស្រមោចស៊ីត្រីវិញហើយ។​ពីអញ!!!!