Newspaper publisher Hang Chakra was jailed earlier this year. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Chrann Chamroeun and Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post
"It is just a statement, which has no power on the judicial system."CAMBODIAN media groups as well as opposition lawmakers have urged authorities to release two journalists who were jailed amid controversy earlier this year.
Representatives from 50 Cambodian news organisations issued a statement calling for the release of Hang Chakra, publisher of the opposition-aligned Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, and freelance journalist Ros Sokhet, said Pen Samitthy, president of the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ).
“We are calling on the Cambodian government, under the intelligent leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, to request the King to pardon the two jailed journalists,” said Pen Samitthy, who is also the editor-in-chief of the Rasmey Kampuchea newspaper.
In a separate letter to the National Assembly, 16 parliamentarians with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party also urged the Ministry of Justice to take action.
Hang Chakra was convicted in June of spreading disinformation after publishing a series of stories accusing officials of corruption. Ros Sokhet was convicted of disinformation charges in November after a court ruled that he sent disparaging text messages to CTN anchor Soy Sopheap.
A government official defended the journalists’ convictions Monday and downplayed the CCJ’s demands.
“It is just a statement, which has no power or influence on the judicial system to force them to reverse the courts’ decisions,” said Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan. “The court has made the right decision to find them guilty.”
Previous appeals from journalists’ organisations, opposition parliamentarians and even King Norodom Sihamoni have so far failed to reverse the convictions. The King has the power to grant pardons under the Cambodian constitution, but a sub-decree stipulates that the Prime Minister must issue a formal request before amnesty can be granted.
Meanwhile, Ros Sokhet has written that he “regrets” sending the text messages to Soy Sopheap, according to a copy of the letter given to the Post.
In the letter, he says he never believed the messages, which appeared to allege corruption, would land him in prison.
“I wholeheartedly inform all of you that I had no intention to publicise the allegations in any newspapers, as they were just rumours,” Ros Sokhet wrote. “I am very regretful for those messages.”
Rights groups and journalists’ groups have criticised Cambodian authorities, citing a lack of press freedom in the Kingdom.
“Cambodia does not have a free media in the true sense of the word,” a briefing paper on freedom of expression in the press released this year by local rights group Licadho stated.
In its Press Freedom Ranking this year, international press watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranked Cambodia 117th out of 174 countries.
8 comments:
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ជាលានពិឃាដនឹកព្រឺសាច់
មេភូមិមេកងឈ្លបសម្រេច
ហ៊ានកាត់ទោសផ្ដាច់ផ្ដិលជីវី ។
រស់បានមួយយប់ឬមួយថ្ងៃ
ជាជីវិតថ្លៃព្រួយខ្វះស៊ី
ខ្លាចខុសមាគ៌ាភ្លាត់នាទី
ជនដប់ប្រាំពីរខែមេសា ។
ឆ្លងផុតចូលមកចិតប្រាំបួន
ទ័ពយួនលុកលុយពេញកម្ពុជា
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កៅមួយ ម្ភៃបី ខែតុលា
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គឺខ្មែរសំគិះទាំងចិត្ដកាយ
គ្រប់គ្រងអំណាចខ្លាចចៅហ្វាយ
មិនហ៊ានដោះស្រាយការតូចធំ។
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អួតអាងពូកែខាងអបគមន៍
កាន់អំណាចយូរមិនខុសពុម្ព
ចូលក្នុងមនោគមន៍អង្គការលើ។
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បរិវារច្បាប់ដោះស្រាយសារពើ
រឿងពិតថាញុះញង់សើរើ
អង្គុយចាំធ្វើនឹងចាប់ជាន់ ។
នរណាសរសេរពាក្យធ្ងន់ស្រាល
គេថាអុជអាលចោទព្រហ្មទណ្ឌ
ដាក់គុកពិន័យទារម៉ឺនពាន់
ដូចមាន់គេឲ្យឈប់រងាវ ។
អ្នកច្បាប់នៅក្រោមអង្គការលើ
បើមិនចហេះធ្វើគេចំហ៊ាវ
ពានត្រោកពានទ្រាំងខំប្រឹងរាវ
តែមិនស្រាវជ្រាវផ្ដាច់របប ។
សម័យមួយនោះមិនចាយប្រាក់
សម័យបុណ្យសក្ដិចាក់សម្រប
អ្នកច្បាប់ក៏ដោយក៏ឱនខ្លប
រស់ត្រូវរណប អង្គការលើ ៕
១៣ ០៨ ២០០៩
ទុកជាអនុស្សាវរីយ៍ដល់ជនមិនមាន
កំហុសដែលគេចោទកាត់ទោសចំពោះនិងមិនចំពោះ ខ្លះត្រូវរត់ចោល
ស្រុក ខ្លះទៀតត្រូវជាប់ក្នុងមន្ទីរឃុំ
ឃាំង ព្រោះស្រុកមិនមានអំណាច
តុលាការ ដែលមានសិទ្ធិជាង
អំណាចនីតិបញ្ញត្តិនិងនីតិប្រតិបត្តិ។
ច្បាប់ទាំងឡាយគេបង្កើតសម្រាប់
អ្នកតូចតាចប៉ុណ្ណោះ ។
តើកាលណាទៅ ????
លទ្ធិអញនិយមវាចាក់គ្រឹះយ៉ាងមាំ
នៅកម្ពុជារាប់សតវត្សរ៍មកហើយ
មិនមែនលទ្ធិប្រជាធិបេតយ្យចាក់
ឫសសដូចដែលហ៊ុន សែនធ្លាប់
ទៅអួតនៅអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិ
នោះទេ ។ អាជម្ម ។
2:46 AM
You want to help Mr. Hang Chakra or you just help yourself. We did not have time to read it, because it is too long.
CPP will not free Hang Chakra because this man said what realy happened inside CPP party.
Everybody knows that PM seat is targeted by many CPP members.
When you are smart you don't deserve to receive order from a monkey.
Free Mr. Hang Chakra and allow him to do his job, which is to continue to report the truth! If Hun Sen/CPP can't stand to hear the truth about corruption and impunity that goes on under the rule of their government, then stop the chaos!
When free speech is not allowed, there is a major problem in that Society.
Oh my Gosh, I couldn't read that without saying Bullshit. I'm sure they had to bite their tongue when they had to say the word "intelligent leadership of Prime minister Hun Sen"
He is the most barbaric, idiotic ever in the history of Cambodian leadership. I say it's time for a Coupe de Tat against Hun Sen and his thugs!
The guy looks ugly as fuck! His damn teeth are rotted to hell.
1:36 ,may i cut off your mom's pussy for hunsen crocodises ?heheheh i was told hunsen's crocodise feeding by cpp memmbers female pussy.
1:36,who does give you the right to judge this poor guy.does not matter how he lookh,nothing do with it.atleast,he has some patriotism in him.you better stop.
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