Cambodian activist released on bail
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia --
Cambodia's highest court released an activist on bail Friday after
she served more than a year in prison on charges widely condemned as
trumped up to silence a government critic.
The Supreme Court sent Yorm Bopha's case back to the Appeals Court for further investigation and a possible retrial.
Yorm
Bopha, 30, was imprisoned in September 2012 and sentenced by the Phnom
Penh Municipal Court to three years in jail last December on charges of
plotting "intentional violence" against two men.
Human rights groups said there was inconsistent testimony and no
evidence against her, and that the conviction was the result of
government interference with the courts.
They allege she was
convicted because of her activism against her community's forced
eviction from the capital's Boeung Kak lake area. The government leased
the land to a development company with ruling party ties in 2007, and
thousands of people were pushed out of their homes.
The case has
drawn wide international notice. In an Amnesty International campaign,
thousands of people from around the world wrote appeals and signed
petitions calling for Yorm Bopha's release.
"It
has been clear from the very beginning of this case that Yorm Bopha has
been targeted for her activism in the context of the (Boeung Kak)
community's struggle for their rights," Ou Virak, president of the
Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said in a statement. "While today's
decision to temporarily release Bopha from jail is a welcome step, we
must urge the Appeal Court to act quickly and to put an end to the
suffering of Bopha and her family once and for all."
The Appeals Court in June upheld the municipal court's conviction of Yorm Bopha but suspended one year of her sentence.
Yorm
Bopha, the mother of a 10-year-old son, told reporters in the courtroom
that she was dissatisfied with the Supreme Court ruling because it
meant she could be arrested again for her activism at any time.
"I
am totally disappointed with the decision of the court today. I have
never committed any crimes, and I wanted the court to drop all charges
against me," she said.
Political analyst Kem Ley said the Supreme
Court may have faced pressure to release Yorm Bopha because of
international attention, as well as a sharp decline in the ruling
party's share of the vote in recent parliamentary elections.
Land
grabs and lack of judicial independence were key issues in the July
elections, in which Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party lost 22 seats,
leaving it with only a slight majority.
1 comment:
VC is controlling everything in Srok Khmer, it is time to wake up now or elste, thats it!. Hun Sen called 'Hai Phuc' said, 'I am a Viets'puppet and no one wants to lose their land or sea but because we are under their controlled'. Hun/Cpp/NEC/ Court system are all VC's in disguise. It is time for everyone in Cambodia to wake up. There is no law in Cambodia, their (CPP/VC) law is to protect them, to help to countinue to commit more crimes e.g where criminals gotten away and Innocent victims be jailed. VC is making sure that Srok Khmer is under their countrolled, where they put their well train men to be in the lead.
Right now, they already took over everything from Gov't to small business own by the VC and supported by the Chinese. While Cambodia continue to be kind to these two nations, these two nations continue to take advantage of kindness and trumpet it. They owe us everything and now, they turn around and say, we owe them everything. They promised to return Khmer Krom but not, and now, took over the whole Kosh Tral and Srok KHmer. This made is possible because the Chinese needed their money from VN and Viet can not make such repayment, unless they are allowed to rob from from Cambodia and its down fall.
From sucking its natural resources as well as selling our national asset and taking control of everything, so that khmers can no longer get up. They did this before and they will continue to do it again and again e,g they took laos, Chompa, Khmer Krom and now the whole srok khmer. Sooner or later, they are moving into Thailand, which they already did at some points, by using the same old tactics and tricks e.g creating one party after another to let them fight among each other e,g between the Red and the Yellow shirts, similair? KDP (Lon Nol/Sam Rainsy) KR (VC, CPP -Pol Pot/ Hun Sen 'Hai Phuc'.
For the Thai, if they don't recognise this fact now, wait until Viets became their next door neighbour, then you all will know, how wicked both VC and Chinese are. If International community don't recognise this fact now, they too will be at risk in the near future. Both Viets and Chinese have been know as never to keep their words e,g during world war 2 they said to the US to sease fire but not! they helped to kill up to 58 000 US troops.
But the truth is, VC has never won, because the US could have nuke the hell out of their existence just like that but they did not want to because of their special consideration of humanity. Anyway the main perpetrators are of both the VIets and Chinese, who have helped each other to eliminate khmers from being existed. It is time to see this true fact and it is time for international stop believing in them. They need to bring chemical weapons or other mean to destroy them now, before it is too late for everyone in this world.
King Sihanouk said 'I have helped them in every way I could and still, they are criticising me none stop...they are expansionists and they are like crocodiles'. So, they will not stop unless, you stop them first. Right now, they are moving into EU and Africa, trying to destroy them as well, without them knowing it e.g sellling war related weapons to kill one another, while they are busy collecting their debt to feed their 1.3 billion people, how nice!
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