Source: SEAPA
A Cambodian court found two journalists guilty of defamation on 22 September 2009 for publishing an article in which an opposition lawmaker criticized a group of military officers, media reports said.
The Associated Press said "Cambodian Daily" editor-in-chief Kevin Doyle and reporter Neou Vannarin were each fined US$1,000. Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Sin Visal said, "The article published in their paper caused confusion among the Cambodian people and damaged the dignity of the military officers."
Opposition legislator Ho Vann, who had also been charged with defamation by a group of 22 senior military officers, was acquitted for lack of evidence, according to Judge Sin Visal.
The "Cambodia Daily" ran a story in April this year in which Ho Vann, a member of the Sam Rainsy Party, was quoted as saying that the military certificates received by the officers in a year-long program in Vietnam were "useless". The officers sued Hor Vann for defamation.
This conviction came on the same day that opposition leader Sam Rainsy told members of the international media in a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand that Prime Minister Hun Sen's government has been actively suppressing dissent in Cambodia.
Sam Rainsy in the SEAPA-sponsored event accused Hun Sen of depriving the Cambodian government of hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue through graft and corruption and mismanagement of the economy.
He said that the worldwide economic crisis is also taking its toll on ordinary Cambodians, resulting in a simmering discontentment among the population. Sam Rainsy said Hun Sen is thus cracking down on the media, the opposition and even civil society groups to contain the situation.
Duong Hak Sam Rithy, vice president of the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ), claimed in the SEAPA-sponsored press conference that some 10 journalists have been killed by suspected government agents.
In July this year, Ho Vann, along with a party colleague, Mu Sochua, were stripped of their parliamentary immunity to enable the government to charge them with defamation.
Last month, the same court convicted Mu Sochua of defaming Hun Sen and ordered her to pay US$2,000 to the state and another US$1,882 in compensation to the prime minister.
Doyle, an Irish national, said the newspaper will appeal against the court's ruling.
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The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (http://www.seapa.org) is a coalition of press freedom advocacy groups from Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Established in November 1998, it is the only regional network with the specific mandate of promoting and protecting press freedom throughout Southeast Asia. SEAPA is composed of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Indonesia), the Jakarta-based Institute for the Study of the Free Flow of Information (ISAI), the Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Thai Journalists Association. SEAPA also has partners in Malaysia, Cambodia, East Timor, and exiled Burmese media, and undertakes projects and programs for press freedom throughout the region.
For inquiries, please contact us at: seapa@seapa.org, or call +662 243 5579.
The Associated Press said "Cambodian Daily" editor-in-chief Kevin Doyle and reporter Neou Vannarin were each fined US$1,000. Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Sin Visal said, "The article published in their paper caused confusion among the Cambodian people and damaged the dignity of the military officers."
Opposition legislator Ho Vann, who had also been charged with defamation by a group of 22 senior military officers, was acquitted for lack of evidence, according to Judge Sin Visal.
The "Cambodia Daily" ran a story in April this year in which Ho Vann, a member of the Sam Rainsy Party, was quoted as saying that the military certificates received by the officers in a year-long program in Vietnam were "useless". The officers sued Hor Vann for defamation.
This conviction came on the same day that opposition leader Sam Rainsy told members of the international media in a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand that Prime Minister Hun Sen's government has been actively suppressing dissent in Cambodia.
Sam Rainsy in the SEAPA-sponsored event accused Hun Sen of depriving the Cambodian government of hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue through graft and corruption and mismanagement of the economy.
He said that the worldwide economic crisis is also taking its toll on ordinary Cambodians, resulting in a simmering discontentment among the population. Sam Rainsy said Hun Sen is thus cracking down on the media, the opposition and even civil society groups to contain the situation.
Duong Hak Sam Rithy, vice president of the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ), claimed in the SEAPA-sponsored press conference that some 10 journalists have been killed by suspected government agents.
In July this year, Ho Vann, along with a party colleague, Mu Sochua, were stripped of their parliamentary immunity to enable the government to charge them with defamation.
Last month, the same court convicted Mu Sochua of defaming Hun Sen and ordered her to pay US$2,000 to the state and another US$1,882 in compensation to the prime minister.
Doyle, an Irish national, said the newspaper will appeal against the court's ruling.
-----------------------------------
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (http://www.seapa.org) is a coalition of press freedom advocacy groups from Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Established in November 1998, it is the only regional network with the specific mandate of promoting and protecting press freedom throughout Southeast Asia. SEAPA is composed of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Indonesia), the Jakarta-based Institute for the Study of the Free Flow of Information (ISAI), the Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Thai Journalists Association. SEAPA also has partners in Malaysia, Cambodia, East Timor, and exiled Burmese media, and undertakes projects and programs for press freedom throughout the region.
For inquiries, please contact us at: seapa@seapa.org, or call +662 243 5579.
3 comments:
The court system is like a kangeroo court. Jumping and judging at the same time. Its like clowns circus.
It's ricdiculous indeed that there are too many one-star, two-star, and three-star generals in a small country like Cambodia. It's about fifteen times more than in the 60's and 70's. This excludes Hun Sen's personal bodyguars.
Why Hun Sen promoted his officers, some of whom are not ecademically trained, to a ridiculous number?
1- He promoted the other officers, so he can promote his own son without being criticized by them.
2-When his son reaches the rank of a three-star general, he will become a military commander-in-chief of the country.
3-When his son become a commander-in-chief, Hun Sen will slowly turn Cambodia into a military-ruled country.
4-When Cambodia become a military-ruled country, Hun Sen families and his clique will be the sole owners of our motherland.
There is no doubt about why Hun Sen has too many bodyguards to protect him: it's because he wants to stay in stolen power until he fulfils his plan. Hus Sen has extravagantly spent the national budget for the above purpose, and this is a real waste of it.
To stop this blind mad dog from fulfilling his goal, which is not at all for the interest of the country nor benificial to Khmer people, all freedom-loving Khmers living inside and outside of the country must be unite and resolute in our endeavour to peacefully challenge to Hun Sen's betryal step before it's too late.
Up with the people!
Down with the dictator!
Journalist profession is to report the truth not lie. They are to bring an real update news or event to public so people being informed and awared by the information.
Cambodian reporters at home and abroad alike lie.
It's happen here aslo in the US of A. Long Beach, California - some Cambodian reporters was/were facing lawsuite also for defamation. Some had paid restitution to plaintif and some asked plaintif to drop because their financial hardship. In exchange of made correction to their report.
This is what happen when journalist manipulated the story for its own publicity stunt. Now they got what they want. They deserved it for put their words in their mouth.
Jeffrey Serey Ho
Lancaster, California
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