Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Military Denies Receiving Request to Examine News Report


By Kuch Naren and Alex Willemyns
The Cambodia Daily, December 4, 2013

Senior officials at the Military Court and Ministry of Defense said Tuesday that they have not received a request from Council of Ministers Secretary of State Phay Siphan to investigate an article published in an opposition newspaper.

Mr. Siphan on Monday said he had submitted a complaint to the Military Court to investigate an article in Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper that reported on an interview given by CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha during a trip meet Cambodian-Australians in Melbourne last month.

Mr. Sokha suggested in the interview that the military had intervened the night of the July 28 national election to “rob” the CNRP of victory in the ballot.

Military Court deputy president Major General Pork Porn said that he had not received a complaint from Mr. Siphan.

“I haven’t received any complaint about this case yet,” Maj. Gen. Porn said, declining to answer further questions.

Lieutenant General Sam Vantha, Ministry of Defense general secretariat secretary-general, and Major General Pang Thearo, the ministry’s administrative affairs department head, also said they had not received a complaint.

Major General Mam Sophat, chief of the legislative department of the ministry, said that he had only heard reports of Mr. Siphan’s complaint through the media.

“I have not seen or received any documents,” he said.

Mr. Siphan has declined to name who he specifically sent his complaint to, and said it was not strange that no one at the Ministry of Defense was aware of the issue.
“They’re not in my office, they’re not on my staff, so they might not know what’s going on,” Mr. Siphan said, adding that the information was classified.

“I am an official in the government and this information belongs to the government. Be patient—this will be revealed by the court.”

Asked why he, as an official at the Council of Ministers, had taken a personal interest in clarifying the meaning of a newspaper article, Mr. Siphan said that he also holds a position as an operational leader of the “Inter-Ministerial Unit in Charge of Battlefield Information.”

“This unit is under the Interior Ministry and was established by Prime Minister Samdech Decho Hun Sen and has an office in the Council of Ministers,” he said.

“I am the permanent vice president of this unit and this unit’s job is very clear—it is to watch all the news about the military and to protect national security forces.”

Mr. Siphan cited the collection of military news “in case there is armed conflict with Thailand” as part of the mandate handed to his unit by the prime minister.

“It was made to work with the military forces, and there is one, two or three [military] staff who sit in my office,” he said. “It’s media relations between the armed forces and my unit and monitors media related to national security.”

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The way AH Phay Siphan talk as if Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper is collaborating with Siem military thugs to invade Cambodia! If AH Phay Siphan care so much about Cambodian security and what is he going to do about those Siem military thugs still station in Preah Vihear?

So does AH Phay Siphom have any plan to deal with those Siem military thugs on Khmer land?

The fact is AH Phay Siphom doesn't even what the hell he is talking about and all about him is just a fucken distraction!

This stupid fuck AH Phay Siphom is a useless fool and for all his life is a useless fool! He fools nobody only himself!

Anonymous said...

Ah fucked Phai Siphom, I just wanted to Kat Pbal Ah Aign Choul Te, you are the troublemaker and I hope the military thank you are useless for this post only and they laught on you only. You must give up job and turn back to wash teller in US again.

Anonymous said...

Ah play sy peas Chet dol pliav tol ah nis Chet sy peas hoey

Anonymous said...

HUN SEN MUST GO if all Cambodian wish to live with full democracy, justice, freedom, and lawful and also with a good standard of living and also wish to liberate our country from Vietnamese aggressor, HUN SEN must step down and MUST GO,,,,

Anonymous said...

If Hun Sen and his group really want to help Khmer soldiers and want to honor Khmer soldiers. Hun Sen should stop to corrupt,it's enough now you are already millionaire and billionaire. You have to think and look at the Khmer soldiers,they have low salary,they are very poor,how they can live with their family. About you stole election'it's true all Khmer people knew already,you can't hide or change this story.

Anonymous said...

ah phay siphorm
ah krem xokha
ah chkae 2 kbarl nis keu yuon tae 1 .

Anonymous said...

JUSTICE IS PEOPLE VOICE! IF KIM SOKHA DENIED, THAT MEAN HOLD ON CRNP TITLE DEFUTY PRESIDENT VON'T WORK. FROM KHMER USA.