Moeung SonnWednesday, 25 November 2009
Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post
Phnom Penh Municipal Court upheld its verdict against Khmer Civilisation Foundation (KCF) chairman Moeung Sonn on Tuesday, ordering the absent defendant to serve two years in jail and pay a fine of 15 million riels (US$3,598).
In a retrial of a case originally decided on July 14, deputy prosecutor Ek Chheng Huot and government lawyer Pal Chandara argued that Moeung Sonn, currently living in France to avoid imprisonment, was guilty of disinformation for comments he made at a press conference in May that a light installation at Angkor Wat would damage the 11th-century temple. The KCF chairman subsequently appealed the decision.
“The accused has filed a complaint contesting the original verdict, but he does not have the confidence to show up here today, so I would like the court to uphold its decision,” Ek Chheng Huot said.
Sam Sokong, Moeung Sonn’s lawyer, told the court that his client had not engaged in disinformation, but had merely voiced valid concerns also aired elsewhere.
“He just said that the company [that installed the lights] did not perform its work properly. My client’s comments were not disinformation, and he had no intention to degrade the government’s reputation,” Sam Sokong said.
Sam Sokong added that he planned to lodge an appeal on Moeung Sonn’s behalf, and that Moeung Sonn would write new letters of apology to the government in hopes of securing an acquittal. Moeung Sonn had previously written a letter of apology to deputy Prime Minister Sok An, head of the Apsara Authority.
Pal Chandara said that Moeung Sonn’s comments were tantamount to incitement and defended the need for government action in the case.
“Moeung Sonn is not the only one who loves Angkor. We all love Angkor together,” Pal Chandara said. “Moeung Sonn’s allegations caused a strong reaction from the people, so if the government had not intervened on time, unrest would have occurred.”
Judge Chhay Kong said the hearing had done little to change his opinion from July’s decision, and reaffirmed the original prison term and fine levied in the case.
Speaking by phone from France, Moeung Sonn said there was no chance for him to receive a fair trial because he could not attend the hearing without fear of being arrested upon arrival in Cambodia.
“I did not attend because I was afraid of being arrested, but I do not have the intention to harm the government’s reputation,” he said.
In a retrial of a case originally decided on July 14, deputy prosecutor Ek Chheng Huot and government lawyer Pal Chandara argued that Moeung Sonn, currently living in France to avoid imprisonment, was guilty of disinformation for comments he made at a press conference in May that a light installation at Angkor Wat would damage the 11th-century temple. The KCF chairman subsequently appealed the decision.
“The accused has filed a complaint contesting the original verdict, but he does not have the confidence to show up here today, so I would like the court to uphold its decision,” Ek Chheng Huot said.
Sam Sokong, Moeung Sonn’s lawyer, told the court that his client had not engaged in disinformation, but had merely voiced valid concerns also aired elsewhere.
“He just said that the company [that installed the lights] did not perform its work properly. My client’s comments were not disinformation, and he had no intention to degrade the government’s reputation,” Sam Sokong said.
Sam Sokong added that he planned to lodge an appeal on Moeung Sonn’s behalf, and that Moeung Sonn would write new letters of apology to the government in hopes of securing an acquittal. Moeung Sonn had previously written a letter of apology to deputy Prime Minister Sok An, head of the Apsara Authority.
Pal Chandara said that Moeung Sonn’s comments were tantamount to incitement and defended the need for government action in the case.
“Moeung Sonn is not the only one who loves Angkor. We all love Angkor together,” Pal Chandara said. “Moeung Sonn’s allegations caused a strong reaction from the people, so if the government had not intervened on time, unrest would have occurred.”
Judge Chhay Kong said the hearing had done little to change his opinion from July’s decision, and reaffirmed the original prison term and fine levied in the case.
Speaking by phone from France, Moeung Sonn said there was no chance for him to receive a fair trial because he could not attend the hearing without fear of being arrested upon arrival in Cambodia.
“I did not attend because I was afraid of being arrested, but I do not have the intention to harm the government’s reputation,” he said.
14 comments:
This man gets convicted purely on the basis of his opinion.
People who support the CPP system of governance need to wake up and smell the rotten truth about CPP law enforcement.
Why do Soy Sopheap and other Khmer support such a senseless jungle rule in the twenty-first century?
Is our Khmer mind really that diminutive, subservient, and incapable of distinguishing non-sense from reality?
I really wonder how people who make such rulings, support such systems, ever evolved into speech-able, and intelligent decision-making individuals.
Personally, I think anyone that stupid should be locked up in a cage and presented at zoos for modern people to see.
This is how the CPP Hun Sen intents to do to silent the opposition. The CPP Hun Sen govenment said There is democracy in Cambodia. But where is it? Why keep booking those who only say some thing about the govenment for the good for the country!
Absolutely NO democracy in Cambodia!
Of course you will get convicted if you don't show up to defend your self.
In all most every country, if you failed to show up in court to defend yourself, it is an automatic conviction.
So don't blame the court for not independent. If you show up and get convicted, then you can blame the court.
The problem with the oppositions are when they sued, they either no show or showed and did not answer to the court, if you keep doing that, please don't blame the court, because in any court in the world if you don't show up or don't answer to your charges then you are automatic convicted.
measthes@yahoo.com
CPP is the communist gangter and Yun slave. You listen what Ah Hunh Xenh Said, yesterday. He owes his master.
Cambodia is a communist rule country with oversee by Yuon.
9:41 AM,
TALKING LIKE IT WAS HIM WHO IS FACING THE COURT AND LIKE IF THIS COURT IN CAMBODIA IS NOT IN CAMBODIA.
WHAT AN IDIOT!
MOFO, SOB, THINK BEFORE YOU TALK. 9:41 AM. THINK!
so unfair for him! he only trying to protected angkor that all, this is result from MR SOK AN anybody dear talk behind him will be in jail. just look at charkra and this man for example.
Ah Meas The! Ah Khbot Cheat! Are you nuts! knowing that you're going to be convicted whether you showed up or not as in every case guilty in absentia! so it's better to get away than facing jail! Do me a favor, go check with other country besides Vietnam and Cambodia, who get convicted for expressing one's opinion? Ah Meas The! Ah Khbot Cheat!
Muk duch Khmuch Chhao!
Meas Thea aka 9:41:
You still do not get the principle. Whether this man shows up for court or not is irrelevant. Why? Because a court law established for justice would never even take a look at this case- no matter even if Mr. Hun Sen himself should request because the charges are absurd and infringe on basic and core individual freedoms.
The freedom of opinion and protection for having dissenting opinion is one of basic mark of civilized and modern society.
Apparently Cambodia is still ruled, judged, and prosecuted by a group of uneducated corrupt persons who cannot tell right from wrong, reality from fictions and have no common sense whatsoever.
God help us! Help Cambodia and rid these ridiculous absurdity among these people, the officials and their followers, of such preverse mentality!
4:13 PM
I agree with you 100% you made a best comment in here . Ah Meas Thes is ah kbot cheat he is a yuon slave , everyday he tries to bark for yuon and Hun Sen so he will get somme bone to chew. Go Hell ah Meas Thes Kagncheas Yuon.
1:49PM,
Nice comments, really!
I truly believe Moeung Sonn will never get a fair trial in AH HUN SEN Vietcong puppet court!
First, this is not the issue of who love Angkor Wat more than who! This is the fucken issue of who did something to Angkor Wat to create such controversy in the eye of the Cambodian people!
Moeung Sonn has the right to voice his opinion from what he saw base on photograph and documentation when Cambodian officials chose to do thing base purely on economic interest without regard for Cambodian value and respect for Angkor Wat! He only bring attention of what being done to Angkor Wat to the Cambodian people and what is wrong with that? I believe Cambodian people have the right to know what being done to Angkor Wat and it is up to AH HUN SEN government to explain and to clear any misunderstanding instead of throwing lawsuit every fucken time some Cambodian people open their mouth!
I see no harm is done by Moeung Sonn for expressing his opinion and if the fucken Cambodian government under direction of AH HUN SEN think that harm are being done to his reputation and his government and maybe what Moeung Sonn said has some truth to it!
If what Moeung Sonn said is untrue and why even bother with it?
If Moeung Its emerges victorious, the judge and his court would fall in the Boeng Kak Lake.
If Moeung Its apologized when he recognizes his (pseudo?) Errors and his lawyer will be disbarred lawyers and found himself unemployed or choose apatride.How do it to be in front of justice?
French translatation:
Si MOEUNG Son en sort vainqueur, le juge et son tribunal tomberait dans le lac de Boeng Kâk.
Si MOEUNG Son s'en excuse, alors il reconnaît ses (pseudo?) erreurs et son avocat sera radié du barreaux des avocats et se trouvera en chômage ou apatride.Comment choisir sa voir face à la justice?
If Moeung Its emerges victorious, the judge and his court would fall in the Boeng Kak Lake.
If Moeung Its apologized when he recognizes his (pseudo?) Errors and his lawyer will be disbarred lawyers and found himself unemployed or choose apatride.How do it to be in front of justice?
French translatation:
Si MOEUNG Son en sort vainqueur, le juge et son tribunal tomberait dans le lac de Boeng Kâk.
Si MOEUNG Son s'en excuse, alors il reconnaît ses (pseudo?) erreurs et son avocat sera radié du barreaux des avocats et se trouvera en chômage ou apatride.Comment choisir sa voir face à la justice?
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