Hang Chakra (Photo: Sok Serey, RFA)03 April 2010
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
A high-ranking government official revealed that the Cambodian government plans to release Hang Chakra, the Editor-in-Chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, before the Cambodian New Year.
A high-ranking government official claimed that hang Chakra, the editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, will be freed soon, prior the Cambodian New Year, following the OK from Hun Xen and Xok An, the vice-PM and minister of the Council of Minister, who sued Hang Chakra in this lawsuit case.
Khieu Kanharith, minister of Information and government spokesman, told RFA on Friday that Hang Chakra will be freed soon. “H.E. Xok An did all that. Normally, when they announce the pardon, it will be announced before the Cambodian New Year,” Khieu Kanharith said.
Hang Chakra was sentenced by the Phnom Penh municipal court to 1-year of jail term on 26 June 2009. He was charged with defamation and disinformation because he published a number of reports at the beginning of April and May 2009, accusing Hun Xen of breaking up the nest of bad and corrupt officials around Xok An.
These reports led Xok An to sue Hang Chakra. Xok An denied the report and accused Hang Chakra of disinformation.
There is no date set for the release of Hang Chakra yet, only that it will take place before the Cambodian New Year.
Tith Sothea, government advisor and mouthpiece of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit attached to [Xok An’s] Council of Ministers, said that the release plan was OK’d by Hun Xen and Xok An, thus paving the way for the king to sign the pardon.
Tith Sothea said: “At this point in time, Mr. Hang Chakra spent 2/3 of his sentence already, and he also wrote an official letter that included apologies to H.E. the vice-PM as well, saying that his past criticisms were not true, and were lies, and he also confessed to his mistakes.”
Hang Chakra’s release plan was greeted and welcomed by human rights colleagues and activists in Cambodia.
Chum Sophal, the standing editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper said: “I am very happy and I welcome this, I really miss him very much!”
Sok Serey: “So, you hope that you will work with him soon ?”
Chum Sophal: “Yes! When he will get out, he will come back to work immediately.”
Am Sam Ath, chairman of investigations for the Licadho human rights NGO, said: “The ministry of Interior sent a letter to Hang Chakra’s daughter, that it sent to the Phnom Penh municipal court for Hang Chakra’s pardon before this New year. This is good news for Mr. Hang Chaka, it is a sign for an understanding towards reporters.”
Currently, there are 2 journalists who are jailed in Prey Sar prison: (1) Hang Chakra, the editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper who sentenced to 1-year of jail term by the Phnom Penh municipal court, and (2) Ros Sokhet who was sentenced by the same court to 2-year of jail term for defamation and disinformation also.
A high-ranking government official claimed that hang Chakra, the editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, will be freed soon, prior the Cambodian New Year, following the OK from Hun Xen and Xok An, the vice-PM and minister of the Council of Minister, who sued Hang Chakra in this lawsuit case.
Khieu Kanharith, minister of Information and government spokesman, told RFA on Friday that Hang Chakra will be freed soon. “H.E. Xok An did all that. Normally, when they announce the pardon, it will be announced before the Cambodian New Year,” Khieu Kanharith said.
Hang Chakra was sentenced by the Phnom Penh municipal court to 1-year of jail term on 26 June 2009. He was charged with defamation and disinformation because he published a number of reports at the beginning of April and May 2009, accusing Hun Xen of breaking up the nest of bad and corrupt officials around Xok An.
These reports led Xok An to sue Hang Chakra. Xok An denied the report and accused Hang Chakra of disinformation.
There is no date set for the release of Hang Chakra yet, only that it will take place before the Cambodian New Year.
Tith Sothea, government advisor and mouthpiece of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit attached to [Xok An’s] Council of Ministers, said that the release plan was OK’d by Hun Xen and Xok An, thus paving the way for the king to sign the pardon.
Tith Sothea said: “At this point in time, Mr. Hang Chakra spent 2/3 of his sentence already, and he also wrote an official letter that included apologies to H.E. the vice-PM as well, saying that his past criticisms were not true, and were lies, and he also confessed to his mistakes.”
Hang Chakra’s release plan was greeted and welcomed by human rights colleagues and activists in Cambodia.
Chum Sophal, the standing editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper said: “I am very happy and I welcome this, I really miss him very much!”
Sok Serey: “So, you hope that you will work with him soon ?”
Chum Sophal: “Yes! When he will get out, he will come back to work immediately.”
Am Sam Ath, chairman of investigations for the Licadho human rights NGO, said: “The ministry of Interior sent a letter to Hang Chakra’s daughter, that it sent to the Phnom Penh municipal court for Hang Chakra’s pardon before this New year. This is good news for Mr. Hang Chaka, it is a sign for an understanding towards reporters.”
Currently, there are 2 journalists who are jailed in Prey Sar prison: (1) Hang Chakra, the editor-in-chief of the Khmer Machas Srok newspaper who sentenced to 1-year of jail term by the Phnom Penh municipal court, and (2) Ros Sokhet who was sentenced by the same court to 2-year of jail term for defamation and disinformation also.
4 comments:
They should never have charged him from the begining.
He sentences to a year in jail in June of last year. This June his jail term should be up. Release him now means nothing much. They plan to release him a little early so they can say Mr. Chakra owed them a favor for later references. Pathetic!
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Sihanouk
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
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
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation bomb on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Lightning strike many airplanes, but did not fall from the sky. Lightning strike out side of airplane and discharge electricity to ground.
Source: Lightning, Discovery Channel
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed 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
Persecution
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, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
Gumar Vann, SRP in Philadelphia, USA
You motherfuckers CPP the evilopressor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Such an ugly oily fuckface
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