Monday, December 20, 2010

Rights groups slam jailing of WFP employee in Cambodia

20/12/2010
AFP

A World Food Programme employee in Cambodia has been jailed for six months for printing and distributing anti-government material in a sentence criticised Monday by rights groups.

A World Food Programme employee in Cambodia has been jailed for six months for printing and distributing anti-government material in a sentence criticised Monday by rights groups.

A Phnom Penh court on Sunday sentenced Seng Kunnaka, a Cambodian who reportedly works in a WFP warehouse, to six months in prison and a fine of one million riel (250 dollars) -- just two days after his arrest for incitement.

"It's shocking that we now see even a warehouse employee at a UN agency with a print-out of materials from a website can incur the wrath of this increasingly authoritarian Cambodian government," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

"This rushed trial and groundless conviction is further proof of the growing crackdown on freedom of expression by the Cambodian government", local rights group Licadho said in a statement.


The arrest and trial came less than 10 days after the introduction of a new penal code in Cambodia that rights groups said could be used to silence critics.

A government spokesman refused to comment on the verdict.

"This was the court's decision. My question is whether the WFP or human rights organisations want to support the distribution of (such) leaflets," Khieu Kanharith told AFP.

The exact content of the material was unclear. It was taken from a blog that collects news stories and opinion pieces about Cambodia and is often critical of the government.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Hun Sen attacked the WFP for saying that Cambodia was vulnerable to food shortages. The UN organisation has denied making such claims.

Khieu Kanharith said there was no link between the arrest and Hun Sen's remarks.

"This is an individual case... They did not prosecute WFP," he said.

The Cambodian government has come under fire from rights groups in recent years for launching a number of defamation and disinformation lawsuits against critics and opposition members.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is what would happen when you gave monkeys money, AK 47s and B 40RPGs.

Anonymous said...

យើងត្រូវតែនាំគ្នានិយាយពីអំពើក្បត់ជាតិនឹងអំពើអាក្រក់
របស់មេដឹកនាំកម្ពុជា ទាំងយប់ ទាំងថ្ងៃ មានដូចជា ៖
ពួកអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួន ហ៊ុន សែន, ហេងសំ រិន, ជាស៊ីម,
សុខ អាន, ហោ ណាំហុង, ឱម យិនទៀង, ចៀម យីប,
វ៉ា គិម ហុង, ស ខេង, ងួន ញ៉ឹល ។ល។ និង ។ល។
និយាយហើយនិយាយទៀតដើម្បីអោយជាតិ និងអន្តរជាតិ
ដឹងឮ ទូទាំងពិភពលោក។
អោយពួកវាស្អុយឈ្មោះ ស្អុយត្រកូលរាប់ម៉ឺនសែន ឆ្នាំ...!

Anonymous said...

Hello Ki- Media,
We always heard that all the offices in our worldwide have been worked and opened their door from Monday to Friday. Why does Cambodian Government work on Sunday.? It is very very Amazing.
We would like to support Human Right Group to criticize this Government.
Dear Our friendly readers on Internet, Please careful to use Internet shop to read information on Internet. Our Government is blind now. Vietnam open their school in and around Cambodia, Our Khmer can not open our language.
Khmer Angkor

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen Goverment = Khmer Rough.

Anonymous said...

Why so serious about this guy? He just printed the leaflets or distributed the news.

What about those deaths on Koh Pich bridge?? Nobody investigate them?????



What a monkey court in the Kingdome of wonder??

Wonder=chngall!!!!

Anonymous said...

talking about him too much gorvement in kambodia will put more pressure on him. this the system comunist

Anonymous said...

Yes, the government should spend their time to investigate the Koh Pich incident. That was serious!!!

That was more like criminal case!!

ជនពាល said...

រឿងនេះ កុំទាន់អាលអរ ដូចដែលយើងដឹងហើយថា រដ្ឋាភិបាលអាមេរិកបាននិងកំពុងតែ រៀបចំសំណុំរឿងប្ដឹងទៅ ស្ថាបនិកគេហទំព័រ WIKILEAK ក្នុង បទភេវរកម្មតាមរយះព័ត៌មានវិទ្យា ។ បើការប្ដឹងប្ដល់នេះ ពិតជាបានជោគជ័យមែននោះ គឺក្រុម Ki media
ប្រុងខ្លួនអោយហើយទៅ ! ព្រោះថា រដ្ឋាភិបាលខ្មែរ ប្រហែលជានឹងអាចរៀបចំសំណុំរឿងប្ដឹងទៅ ស្ថាបនិក ឃេអាយ មេឌា ក្នុងករណីញុះញុងអោយមានភេវរកម្មផងដែរ ។ ដូច្នេះ លោកម្ចាស់វែបសាយ ឃេអាយ មេឌា អើយ! គួរតែប្រញាប់ប្រញាល់ ខំរកមេធាវី​ បង្ការទុកជាមុនអោយហើយទៅ ! ដោយសារថាឥឡូវនេះ ទាន់ពួកលោកនៅមានឧិកាសច្រើននៅឡើយ !
កុំភ្លេចថា សូម្បីតែព្រះ ក៏ចេះខឹងដែរ នូវទង្វើដែលត្រូវគេចោទថា ខ្លួនជាជនក្បត់ជាតិនោះ ។

Anonymous said...

The guy is an idiot. He should know better. If he want to distribute anti government documents, he need to find a better way to do it, instead of openly distribute it to everyone. Even KI media team who write the article on this website, they all hide their identity.

Anonymous said...

គណៈបក្សប្រជាជន ជាក្រុមភាវកម្ម ជាបក្សកុម្មុយនិស្តហាណូយ ជាបិសាចប្រែរូបជញ្ជក់ឈាមខ្មែរ បំផ្លិចបំផ្លាញពូជសាសន៍ខ្មែរ ឱ្យរលាយ រលត់ដូចប្រទេសចំប៉ា!

Anonymous said...

This Seng Kunnaka is a product of Ki Media.

Anonymous said...

What is the difference between this man's printing the article and sharing with a few of his colleagues and Mr. Va declared and condemned the article and let the whole world (millions of people) know about KI Media????

Or, did the government actually believe people would not know how search for KI Media after Mr. Va made the announcement??? So, Mr. Va's action had much more impact than Mr. Sen'g little innocent action.

No one is that dumb to commit any act that they think would jeopardize their safety. What Mr. Seng did was just normal thing any one would do when they see thing that was that controversial. He probably thought, like many others did, that anyone would have access to KI Media, anyway.

Anonymous said...

ពួកអាក្បត់ជាតិ និង ពួកអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួនក្បត់ជាតិ កំពុងគំរាមកំហែង បិទវែបសាយ ឃេអាយ មេឌា
ដែលជាប្រភពសេរីភាពនៃលិទ្ធិប្រជា ធិបតេយ្យក្នុងលោកនេះ ។

បើពួកអាក្បត់ជាតិ និង ពួកអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួនក្បត់ជាតិចង់បិទ អាចបិទបានតែនៅក្នុងប្រទេសពួកអាក្បត់ជាតិ និង ពួកអាឆ្កែកញ្ជះយួនក្បត់ជាតិ អាចមិនបិទសេរីភាពពិភពលោកនេះបានឡើយ។
បិទ១ បង្កើត១00, បិទ១00 បង្កើត១000, បិទ១000 បង្កើត១000000 ..!

Anonymous said...

I support 1:45AM. This is what you let monkey became a Leader!

They are all monkeys; they are all so dumb, lets get rid of them.

Anonymous said...

This country has a shit law system. All Cambodian people are against God leaders CPP, those are criminals, terrorists but Youn pushed the border into Cambodia every day, always hidding. Brovo the leaders for New Indochina forderation under uncle Ho and Sar dech Ouv. Khmer die softly, long live Viet in Indochina.

Anonymous said...

This Seng Kunnaka is a product of Ki Media.

No he is Khmer concerning the losing of last Khmer land like the other Khmers inside and outside. That is the point.

Keo Cham said...

Someone say Seng Kunaka is a product of KI. KI, i think you should post that statement on your headline. If Kunaka is a product of KI, I think we as supporters of KI and especially KI team themselves should be proud and give yourself a hand!

This means we're raising up a new generation of brave, daring, and politically aware Khmer who takes political oppression and muzzling of free speech with a laughing ridicule and now knows that the country belongs to them rather than an elite group who 1:38 belongs too.

Anonymous said...

At least he is brave enough to stand up for this Hermit Kingdom no wait, it is kingdom of wonder. I'm really wonder all right!!!!

Anonymous said...

>.<

Anonymous said...

*They're [CPP] can does anything Bad when they're want it like Pol Pot regime since April-17-75.
*Killed the Monks,Push Peoples out the Town,killed civilians khmer Peoples,pushing peoples from the Town by Armies Forces ect....[1975-78.Pol pot regime].
*killed and Beating the khmer Monks,killed khmer civilians peoples,pushing khmer Poor Peoples from own Land,killed actress...jailed khmer NGO Peoples [1979-2010]. Hun sen regime have the same Pol Pot regime too.some cases Bad than Pol pot regime [khmer-yourn Border Maps].
TEIK KROTT

Anonymous said...

What the differences between Pol Pot and Today:
1) Pol Pot acted with Killing field both (KR-China and KR Viet today). Who died, people after 17. April 1975.
2) Pol Pot was nationalist, no Khmer land fall into the Viet Hand and Viet was living in Kampuchea but now more piece of Khmer land give to Viet and more than 40% of Khmer people consist of Viet, what is thext ==> Champa and Kampuchea Krom.

Anonymous said...

jailed a WFP employee is only a tiny step. Stay tune for much worse from thi Hun Sen administration.

Some people will be put 1 month in jail even they fail to pick up the picture of Hun Sen and Bun Rany from the ground.

Anonymous said...

HaHa HaHa HaHa. Cambodian judge works on SUNDAY.

Anonymous said...

I want to BLOW UP a picture of Hun Sen to 25'x25 and have the cartoonist Bunheang draw a monkey body for me to attach the head to, then I want to hang it dead in the busy traffic street of Cambodia!

Need to do this at night, when the police busy in bar singing Karaoke and playing game with HIV

Anonymous said...

All Khmers,

PLease remember the name of that JUDGE.

He will be beheaded or hanged in the near future.

Time will tell.

Monkey judge ! you can run but you cannot hide, except going to Hanoi.