Thach Le prays after his hearing at Takeo provincial court earlier this week. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan)Friday, 03 September 2010
Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post
THIS week’s conviction of four men for distributing anti-government leaflets in Takeo province may have come at the behest of the Vietnamese government, an opposition lawmaker said yesterday.
Yont Tharo, a Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian and head of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Cultural Centre, connected the convictions with comments made by a top Vietnamese security official in Phnom Penh last month. The official praised Cambodia’s cooperation in disabling anti-Vietnamese “plots” – especially the activities of Khmer Krom activists.
“The sentence of the [men] in Takeo was in parallel to the cooperation raised by Vietnam, on the border issue and the issue of Khmer Krom activists. We see that [Cambodia] has clearly followed the requests from Vietnam,” Yont Tharo said.
On August 3, Vietnamese Vice Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang told a conference in Phnom Penh that “cooperation and positive assistance” from Cambodia had helped to “disable plots and operations of hostile forces opposing the Vietnamese revolution”.
In his speech, Tran singled out Khmer Krom activists in the Mekong Delta region as a target of the joint efforts, which he said had recently led to the arrest of one person for illegal possession of weapons and three others for anti-Vietnamese leafletting in the border area.
In the case heard in Takeo provincial court on Monday, three of the men – including one employee of local rights group Licadho – were jailed after being sentenced to two years in prison. A fourth suspect was convicted in absentia and sentenced to three years in jail.
The three were arrested in May for distributing anti-government leaflets in Takeo province, which borders Vietnam, ahead of the January 7 Victory Day celebrations marking the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime.
The fliers reportedly stated that the day should not be viewed as one of liberation, but as the day Cambodia became “abused and occupied” by Vietnam, which supported the overthrow of Pol Pot.
Takeo provincial police commissioner Ouk Samnang could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, did not comment specifically on whether Vietnam helped in the arrest of the three men, but said Cambodia maintained close law enforcement links with many other countries, including the United States, France, Australia, Thailand and Laos.
“We do not concentrate just on Vietnam,” Khieu Sopheak said. “But the cooperation with neighbouring countries is like tooth and tongue.”
He said the three men were arrested for publishing disinformation about current Cambodian leaders and “looking down” on former King Norodom Sihanouk.
Yont Tharo, a Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarian and head of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Cultural Centre, connected the convictions with comments made by a top Vietnamese security official in Phnom Penh last month. The official praised Cambodia’s cooperation in disabling anti-Vietnamese “plots” – especially the activities of Khmer Krom activists.
“The sentence of the [men] in Takeo was in parallel to the cooperation raised by Vietnam, on the border issue and the issue of Khmer Krom activists. We see that [Cambodia] has clearly followed the requests from Vietnam,” Yont Tharo said.
On August 3, Vietnamese Vice Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang told a conference in Phnom Penh that “cooperation and positive assistance” from Cambodia had helped to “disable plots and operations of hostile forces opposing the Vietnamese revolution”.
In his speech, Tran singled out Khmer Krom activists in the Mekong Delta region as a target of the joint efforts, which he said had recently led to the arrest of one person for illegal possession of weapons and three others for anti-Vietnamese leafletting in the border area.
In the case heard in Takeo provincial court on Monday, three of the men – including one employee of local rights group Licadho – were jailed after being sentenced to two years in prison. A fourth suspect was convicted in absentia and sentenced to three years in jail.
The three were arrested in May for distributing anti-government leaflets in Takeo province, which borders Vietnam, ahead of the January 7 Victory Day celebrations marking the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime.
The fliers reportedly stated that the day should not be viewed as one of liberation, but as the day Cambodia became “abused and occupied” by Vietnam, which supported the overthrow of Pol Pot.
Takeo provincial police commissioner Ouk Samnang could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, did not comment specifically on whether Vietnam helped in the arrest of the three men, but said Cambodia maintained close law enforcement links with many other countries, including the United States, France, Australia, Thailand and Laos.
“We do not concentrate just on Vietnam,” Khieu Sopheak said. “But the cooperation with neighbouring countries is like tooth and tongue.”
He said the three men were arrested for publishing disinformation about current Cambodian leaders and “looking down” on former King Norodom Sihanouk.
10 comments:
Because of the crazy dictator Hun Xen is the youn Hanoi's dog!!!
NO country on earth try so hard to please the enemy (Youn)like current Cambodia government. Why are you Cambodia leaders are so cruel to your people?
ហ៊ុន សែនគឺជាមេដឹកនាំម្នាក់ដែលបំរើយួនដ៍លីលាដោយមិនគិតពីប្រយោជន៏ប្រជាជនឯងមិនថាខ្មែរឬខ្មែរក្រោមទេ។ ដួចសម្ដីរបស់លោកប៉ែន សុវណ្ណបានមានប្រសាសន៍កាលពីមុនដែល ហ៊ុន សែន បានធើ្វដាក់គាត់ជិត៣០ឆ្នាំមុន។
បងប្អូនត្រូវតែប្រួយត័្ន៕
True, I can't believe HUN SEN is still serving YUON!
These day in age (Modern) Hun Sen must not scare of YUON since the world can know what's going on within a blink.
If YUON trying to harrass Khmer, UN or the world will see them right away.
Hun Sen should come to UN and address to the UN that he is being under the gun of YUON and would like an interim government set-up in Cambodia if YUON still think HUN SEN is his slave.
Khmer must rise up to protect our rights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I TRY TO SAY SMETHING THAT MYSELS NOT TOO CLEARE OR LESSCLEAR THAN AH KWAVK IN THIS
CASE!
CAMBODIA LEADERSHIP HAD BEED KILLED LONG TIME AGO WHEN THE FRENCH CAME TO CAMBODIA AND APOINTED SHIHANOUK AS KING!
SHIHANOUK WHO ONLY KNOW HOW TO SPEAK FRENCH LOOK DOND TO KHMER BADIT HE APOPITED ONLY PEOPLE GRRADUATED FROM FRANCH AS NEW LEADERS (MOST OFTHEM STUPID BY THE FRENCH EDUCATION).
FROM THAT DAY ON TO KNOW MOST OF THE LEADER ARE APPOITED BY FOREIGNERS! BECAUSE WE LOST OUR WAT(TEMPLE) EDUCATION SYSTEM!
AND NOW AH YOUN VIETNAMESE APPOITED AH TEP VONG TO DESTROY OUR MORAL AND CULTURE THAT KEEP BY BUDDISH TEMPLE!
2:21 AM
Wow, no wonder clans never learn! Every words they spit out are bad. Look at the guy above (3:33AM) he is using a foul words already when people are talking just as intellectual then he barking just like Hun Sen.
They still have Khmer Rough blood in there hands.
Khmer SRP,
Phila
Two ah 3:33 it should go another way if ah CPP is smart, How come your ass still slave to ah Youn and do what ever ah Youn said dumb ass. Smarter people they don't like to be slave to another foreigner got it ah morons CPP jungle men.
HAHAHA, you're so right 5:59.
I am laughing now at the CPP Slave aka Hanoi slave. It appears having a doctorate degree provides greater time of enslavement and more acceptance of that fact.
Being too smart can be a bad thing as exemplify in the CPP post above. HAHAHAH
I dont like Vietnamese, but I hate Vietnamese dogs such as Hun Sen and all those pathetic CPP yuon slaves.
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