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| Media personality Soy Sopheap adjusts a poster at the re-opening of Deum Ampil Newspaper in December 2010. Soy Sopheap attended court yesterday to clarify defamation allegations. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan) |
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
The Phnom Penh Post
Prominent television personality Soy Sopheap was summoned to Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday to clarify defamation accusations alleged by Son Soubert, a political analyst and former member of the Constitutional Council.
Ek Chheng Huot, deputy prosecutor at the Municipal Court, said yesterday that Soy Sopheap, director of Deum Ampil News and a presenter for Bayon TV, faced a complaint by Son Soubert on February 4 over accusations of defamation stemming from comments suggesting that Son Sann – Son Soubert’s father and former prime minister – sold land located near Preah Vihear temple to Thailand in the 1980s.
“Soy Sopheap was accused with defamation of Samdech Son Sann who is the father of His Excellency Son Soubert. He has already appeared in court and clarified about his accusations yesterday and I have not decided whether he will be charged or not yet,” Ek Chheng Hout said yesterday.
Soy Sopheap said in court that he was confused and had made a mistake in his political commentary regarding Son Sann and had pleaded for a pardon from Son Soubert with regard to the comments. He said he had also made a correction publicly on Bayon TV shortly after the incident.
“I am responsible about what I had said related to Samdech Son Sann, and I have also recognised that I had been confused about this. I hope that the court will not take any legal action against me because I have begged for a pardon from Son Soubert already,” he said, adding that he plans to publicly beg for a pardon and reiterate his corrections on Bayon Television tonight.
“There is a culture of responsibility for journalists when they have made mistakes [in publications] and it is also in the press law,” he said.
Son Soubert claimed in court yesterday that Soy Sopheap had not yet pleaded with him for a pardon regarding his political commentary against his father, except for praising his father’s courage.
“I think that Soy Sopheap’s accusation was very bad for my father’s reputation ... so I could not accept his words that just praised my father’s heroism but did not withdraw his wrongful commentary against him.”
He added that he will consider withdrawing his complaint against Soy Sopheap if he accepts that he had made a mistake, makes a correction and condemns his previous characterisations of Son Sann.
19 comments:
You are an idiot. What you have done to Cambodia and Cambodian people.
Go to hello. You need to do something to prove that you are honest or sincere
M soy sopheap recognizes its mistake and apologized publicly.
He is honest.
There are also other Cambodian journalists of other media and the radios stations broadcast from abroad in particular who make mistakes sometimes serious errors in the given information but which never present or very rarely their excuses in public.
Cambodian journalists still have a lot of efforts to do on the professional ethics.
Regularly, there are manipulation of information on these media
broadcasted in Khmer from foreign countries to Cambodia.
Mr. Soy Sopheap has commented on Bayon TV on 04 February 2011 that "He heard some military officers in Cambodia's border with Thailand said that during 1980s Son Sann and Khieu Samphorn had signed agreement with Thailand to give Khmer's land near Preah Vihear temple to Thailand. Only Prince Ranarith refused to sign it because he got advice from his father (former King Sihanouk)".
Actually, it is a mistake for journalist to make a comment or published any news by just hearing someone said without finding the whole true. In this case, Mr. Soy Sopheap has accepted his mistake, apologized and withdrew his comment on Bayon TV yesterday. It indicated that Mr. Soy Sopheap is a journalist with integrity admitted his fault, make amend and will be judged faily. Unlike the journalists whom pro-Cambodian opposition, are lacking in integrity and common sense. They like to publish news that they heard from markets and keen to invented the stories against Cambodian government, but whenever the government sued them, they had crying out that the government uses the Court to oppress the freedom of speech...etc And the Human Rights groups always came to support them.
I am wondered that when Son Soubert has sued Mr. Soy Sopheap for defamation, where is Human Rights groups and Human Rights Watch? Why they are kept quietly?
Khmer in Sdyney CBD
really a piece of shit! mean moat ches ta niyeay... samdei ach kor niyeay dae...
Ah motherfuckers Soy Sopheap that idiots is a ass kisser. I fucking hated that idiot to dead. Most of the people that live in Cambodian always scares or like to kiss ah Kwack ass alot.
Look, S.Sopheap deserves to be convicted and sentenced for mistake he committed, either un- or intentionally. It was not once he did that so... many times and no one braves enough to sue Sopheap, but Mr. Son Sobert. You know why!
I am proud of you Mr. Son. I wish to see you to go ahead with the case. Teach him a lesson what the real journalist is.
Place your bet if you think Soy Sopheap earned a degree in journalism.
A real journalist has morality, integrety and neutrality, serving for the interest of all people regardless ethnic backgrounds and political affiliation.
Khmer Sydney CBD,
Your comments always taking side. When you are heavy in one side you are not able to judge things fairly.
Of course your government is not a democratic government as it suppose to be. Do you agree with that? Is it wrong to say that your government still use communist style in ruling? Is it wrong to say that your government is corrupted? Is it wrong to say that your government give land to yuon? etc. etc. etc......
Is it right for Soy Sopheap to say that Son San sold land to Thai?
Is it right for NGO to support Soy Sopheap to say something like that?
Khmer Sydney CBD, I don't want to say too much here in order to explain to you and that is enough to make you understand what I meant if you are not a little child under 7 years old.
I am not on any side and I support what the Khmerization talking about SRP as well.
6:40pm just forget an idiot Khmer Sydney CBD, who know nothing about the Cambodian politics.
Khmer in Sdyney CBD,
Do you want us to report to Australian government about your groups who are Vietcong/Yuon Communist groups living in Sydney, Australia? I don't think Australian government and people allow any Communist in their Democratic coutnry. I would report your Communist groups to Australian authority that your Communist groups try to destroy the democracy in Cambodian.
AH SOY SOPHEAP GOT A POT-BELLY AH FAT ASS BITCH
Ah Phleu Soy Sopheab,
Ah Khvak Lourk Srok Min Hean Tha Te Prours Ah Niss Chea Kanh-Cheas Ror Boss Kone Ah Hun Sen.
Ah Soy Sopheap Trauv Ter Touv Thvay Bang-kum Theat Samdech Son San 500000000 dorng Saum Tos Teub Som Muk Ah Preit Norork Niss!
Ah Niss Chea Kanh-cheas Tror Kaul Hun Dach Thlaiy. Ah Dach Thlaiy!
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
THE REAL DISINFORMATIONS PERPETRAITOR WALK WALK AWAY WITH NO JAILED TIME, BUT FOR THE FOR THOSE WHO DARE SPEAK THE TRUTH WILL BE JAILED WITH NO DOUBTED.
THIS IS CALL HUN XEN JUSTICE!
Mr. Soy Sophea!!! why don't you dare to talk about Koh Trol? Why man? What's wrong, man? You are big man in the TV, you must talk about Koh Trol. Your newspaper must publish Koh Trol man. What's wrong man ? Why do you so quiet about Koh Trol Man ?
Koh Trol is a very big issue facing Cambodia today man. Let's open your mouth man!
To Khmer in Sydney,
I thought you were dead and now you are alive.
Soy Sopheap and you are ah Hun Sen ass kissers.
If you are still alive, all blogger
will beat you to death.
Did you know who Hun Sen is?He is a
Vietnam dog and you are also a Vietnam dog too.
When the wind of change comes,Hun Sen and you will be dead,ah Khmer
Sydney.
Go to hell ah Khmer in Sydney.
Ah Muk klagn min ches earnkmass.
AH SOY SOPHEAP I WILL FORGIVE YOU IF YOU AND AH KWACK HUN XEN LICK MY ASS FIRST
Communication Issued here! Nothing is going to changed in Khmer.
i think this is a good way of reform, etc, asking for forgiveness. good job, mr. soy sopheap! yes, there are more to cambodia than you and i, really! god bless cambodia and all our beautiful khmer people and citizens.
A soy ask for mercy too.put him in jail for three years see how he feel.
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