3/02/2011
Bangkok Post
... high-level [Cambodian] government figures had been able to use the court system to target opposition leaders, activists and journalists with defamation suits. Such an assessment clearly paints the Cambodian justice system in a negative light.
From the outset the additional charge of espionage slapped on Veera Somkhwamkid and his secretary Ratree Pipatanapaiboon by the Cambodian authorities, smelled fishy.
The two were among a group of seven Thais, including Democrat MP Panich Vikitsreth, who were on a trip to investigate Thai villagers' complaints of alleged border intrusion in Sa Kaeo province by Cambodian forces and civilians, when they were arrested by the Cambodian military on Dec 29. They were all initially charged with illegal entry and trespassing in a military area.
No explanation was given why these two were singled out to face the espionage charge, despite the fact that all the seven Thais were on the same trip and at the same spot when they were stopped and apprehended by Cambodian forces. Hence the assumption that the charge was fabricated, probably to teach them a lesson for their open hostility to Cambodia.
Mr Veera is a co-leader of the ultra-nationalist Thai Patriots Network and has been very outspoken against the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on boundary demarcation between Thailand and Cambodia.
He had been arrested once before by the Cambodians for illegal intrusion, but had been released shortly afterward.
Ms Ratree is also a member of the network which has been spearheading an anti-Cambodian and anti-Abhisit government campaign together with the People's Alliance for Democracy.
Tuesday's conviction of Mr Veera and Ms Ratree with tough prison terms by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on all the three charges was not surprising, given the fact that the case has been politicised by the Cambodian government for reasons that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen should be fully aware of.
The lawyer of the two Thai defendants, Nathaporn Toprayoon, said that he would appeal the sentence. However, he admitted he was puzzled why his clients were given different jail terms - eight years for Mr Veera and six years for Ms Ratree - despite the fact that they had been arrested at the same time and charged with the same offence.
The only explanation to his query is that this was Cambodian-style justice.
Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy should be a suitable authority to speak about the Cambodian justice system, after having been tried in absentia and sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 8 million riel (60,000 baht) early last year, on charges of fuelling racial tensions and destroying demarcation posts on the Cambodian-Vietnamese border.
Government critics and other opposition MPs in Cambodia who faced defamation charges, could also join Mr Rainsy's bandwagon to echo the problems of rule of law and the Cambodian judiciary.
In last year's report, New York-based Human Rights Watch said that as most judges and prosecutors in Cambodia were members of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and other high-level government figures had been able to use the court system to target opposition leaders, activists and journalists with defamation suits. Such an assessment clearly paints the Cambodian justice system in a negative light.
If the entire Cambodian court drama was meant to shame and discredit Thailand in the eyes of the international community, it has done just the opposite. The drama has, once again, exposed the weakness of the Cambodian judiciary as just a political tool of Hun Sen.
33 comments:
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT' JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT' JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT' JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT' JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT' JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT' JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
kon kmeng naek srae
5:29am, it is sad to say that many many kon khmeng neak sre's are much brighter than you. ah siem drop some baits and you just quickly bite it. what a dumb fnck!
5:59 AM Stop kissing the traitor ass and youn slaves.
The court in srok Khmer belonging to the traitors youn slaves, everyone know that except the CPP.
I hope you old enough to know what is right from wrong or just another youn traitor ass kisser youn slaves.
5:59 AM Stop kissing the traitor ass and youn slaves.
The court in srok Khmer is belonging to the traitors youn slaves, everyone know that except the CPP.
I hope you are old enough to know what is right from wrong or just another traitor ass kisser youn slaves.
Leave opposition leader Sam Ransy out of the equation! Worry about your people attacking and holding Cambodia hostage when your country has internal conflict. Thailand should treat and respect its neighbors, not looking down on them. Don't dream and think, Thailand is a big brother with military might in the region. When it comes to this attitude, you'd get the same treat from Cambodia.
It's look like ah 5:29 AM is the first to received a thai bullet in the head for sure.
In this case, how else does a Cambodian court supposes to decide when the two jailed Thais still claiming not guilty when evidence clearly show they entered Khmer land illegally.
If you talk about the Cambodian Court system you are fully right. Our Court system is a tool that serve only the interest of the powerful and the rich.
A PPenh resident
Screw you Siamese. Veera deserved to be locked up for 10 years.
Khmer soldiers are very kind. They should have shot the bastard Siamese right on spot just as the Thai blakclads did to Khmer innocents.
The question is not about the Thai intruders here it is about the Khmer justice system which is not about justice it is about money!
This is call "Jbap Prey" it's very shamefull when a rule of law created drawn up with intend to use it as a weapon against critics.
What explaination now for the two people having committed the same crime but getting different term of sentence? "eight years for Mr Veera and six years for Ms Ratree"
Hun Sen's Law is KR's Law.
6:54 AM
Totaly agree withyou 100%
Totaly agree withyou 100%
Totaly agree withyou 100%
Totaly agree withyou 100%
Spot on......
for 6:27 AM should be ashame of your self, if 5:29 AM got shot at is not from the Thai most probably from the YUONS because he is not youn's slave....
Bravo! Very well said!
How dare you to lecture us, Bangkok Post? Just look at your own country and government, you got to be blind if you don't see the injustices the Bangkok elites have done to the redshirt supporters. Over 90 plus civilian protesters got killed during the protest and no one was found guilty? Come on Bangkok Post, get your house in order first before criticizing others.
Those 2 Thai have been sentenced to 6 and 8 years in jail not because of what they have done along the border . It's because of the way they have been standing up to Hun Sen and his government in the past . If its about what they have done along the border, all 7 Thai should have been in jail together because they all have been doning the samething at the boder . Now you can see that the Court in Cambodia is just a political tool for the government and they will do whatever they have been told to do by Hun Sen .
5:59 AM
Keep kissing Hun Sen's ass and Hun Sen will make you a general just like all those generals in Cambodia. They have been generals because they have been kissing Hun Sen's ass just like what you are doing right now.
rainsy, your great criticising skill are for ignorance people only, yes I understance very well now Rainsy you are master of dividing and criticing our khmer people, you work very hards for Thailand, any one out there give me a hands, slap this idiot Ransy for me.
Politics are very dirty. Perhaps, Abhisit asked Hun Sen to give Veera a hash sentence. After all, keeping Veera in jail for eight years is a good thing to do for both Hun Sen and Abhisit.
Dear patriot,
Thai issue is just another Sadech Sicko Xen uses to diverse the real issue. If Xambodia Gov. really wants to solve this issue, it needs just a stroke of pen the problem will be solved. Who on earth has a bilateral talk or arguing with the thief. We take thief to the international court but I don't think Sicho Xen likes that idea. Do you know why?
1. Because Youn is violating Cambodia border treaty according to Paris Peace accord.
2. Youn can not afford any uprising like Middle East, youn full well that our brothers and sisters are aware of the border encroachment by them and our Khmer can't hold it inside any longer. Therefore youn has to find the way to release this anger by using Thai and Cambodia issue.
3. Youn is using Thai problem to kill the left over Khmer rouge soldier.
These just a few points about Thai and Cambodia issue but if Khmer really wants a bright future for their children they have to change this corrupt and incompetent prime minister and only their power which can change it.
No regime can stand PEOPLE POWER.
បើមិនបម្រើនាក់មាន នឹងនាក់ធំ ធ្វើម្តេចបានលុយ
នឹងបានជាមេចៅក្រម នាក់ឯងដឹងហើយហុន សែន
មិនស្រួលអស់ការងារធ្វើឥឡូវ ឱ្យទៅធ្វើស្រែវិញ
ម្តេចនឹងកើត ខំរៀនមកយ៉ាងយូរហើយនោះ។
To make the drama short, in the future just shoot the Thai trespassers dead like dogs on the spot. That’s how the Thai soldiers have done to the Khmer trespassers. Showing them too much respect, they keep on bullying you.
I agree with 8:20, If Hun Sen wants Thai/Khmer border dispute to be solved, it will be done in a snap but it' s not up to Hun Sen.
It' s up to Yourn.
Yourn wants this problem to drag on to serve two purposes:
1/ For distraction about what' s going on on the East border with Yourn.
2/ If Yourn allows Hun Sen to take Thai/Khmer border dispute to the UN, It would drag Yourn along as well.
That' s last time why Hun Sen said he would bring this matter to the UN last time and then changed his mind again.
8:11 AM
I wish I can stick my foot into your ass . There is no Sam Rainsy's name in this News article . Keep your head straight you idiot mother fucker.
I don't like the Yellow shirts and the Weera Group, who are ultra-nationalists, anti-Khmer and provocateurs.
But the Khmer Judical system must act professionally accdording to the International Standards and must not act to merely please Hun Sen.
A PPenh resident.
អាម្នាក់និយាយនៅម៉ោង5,29ពិតជាមនុស្សចោលម្សៀតពិតប្រាកដមែនអាមួយនេះបើនៅជំនាន់ពល
ពតច្បាស់ជាទៅលេងឋានផ្សេងហើយ។
The world knows it already that the court system is TOTAL joke and yes, they work for HUN SEN and CPP cronies. Hun Sen is the biggest moron in the world .. of course the world knows this too. The right time will come when KABOOM, everything backfire on him and his whole entire clan. Buh bye yuon slave and traitor HUN sen.. good for nothing, scum of the earth you are.
Soon we will reduce you and everyone connected to you to NOTHINGNESS! All your assets will be taking away, you will be moneyless, powerless homeless, not to mention also countryless.
Be afraid... be very afraid. Your time is just around the corner!!
8:11 AM
you should slap yourself and wake up. Look around you there are million of youn in srok Khmer right now and the riches in srok Khmer???
wake up and stop kissing Hun Sen ass OK.
Funny how some idiots seem to post comments divert to Yuon and Khmer even though the hot issue now is Thai and Khmer.
If it smells like a Siam idiots, talks like a Siam idiots, it probably is a Siam.
Many comments in this blog sure sound like Thai nationalists trying to cause division.
Nice try Thais idiots!
You Thai nationalists need to worry about insurgents in the southern provinces and not Preah Vihear.
why sam rainsy and his opposition group always want to topple the gov't? instead, they should discuss with gov't on how to better serve our beloved country and people! that is so strange of them to always wanted to topple the gov't in cambodia as if the country was under KR or something. why they wan to be so ignorant is beyond comprehension, you know!
To PP Resident,
easier to write it down as PP Resident. Reality you are just anonymous and nowhere.
The Cambodian court system is not that bad as you said, because our Khmer brother & sister learned a lot form the westerner, who supported our court system. They are on your eye maybe not professional, but are better than other countries in the Southeast Asia.
Good people do not insult or berate, like the prime minister used to use insult word because his broght up from low class family so we're intellectual and good person must use decent word or moral word or polite word, continue to insult the prime minister is to show that we are a bunch of idiot too, please consider.
5:22 PM
Because some believed, they knew the world and understand the politic better than other people.
In reality, they don't event knew the different between external and internal affairs, they mixing the personal in to the national interest.
12:42 PM, you said:
why sam rainsy and his opposition group always want to topple the gov't? instead, they should discuss with gov't on how to better serve our beloved country and people! that is so strange of them to always wanted to topple the gov't in cambodia as if the country was under KR or something. why they wan to be so ignorant is beyond comprehension, you know!
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Since when does the government under CPP ever listen to the opposition?
The government should regard the opposition as partners, but instead it considers them as enemies.
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