Civil society asks for an end to the terrorist charge leveled against SRP activists

22 July 2010
By Yun Samien
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

On Wednesday 21 July, several major civil society organizations in Cambodia have agreed to request the Kampong Thom provincial court to drop the terrorism charge leveled against 4 SRP activists.

Civil society organizations indicated that such charge is a threat to discourage opposition activists.

CHRAC and NICFEC issued a joint statement asking the Kampong Thom provincial court to drop the charges against the 4 SRP activists because the court accusations are baseless and lack sufficient proof.

At the beginning of July, the Kampong Thom provincial court accused 4 SRP activists – including Kim Hong, the No. 2 Kroya commune councilor, located in Prasat Balaing district, Uk Thorn, the chairman of the Prasat Balaing district council, Koy Koeun and Chom Cheav who are both SRP activists – after the four reported to the district authority about their concerns for the security of the villagers when rumors circulated that there is a paper tiger that went around to stab people.

Hang Chhaya, a facilitator for CHRAC, said on Thursday 22 July that these activists were merely expressing their concerns over the villagers’ security, they did not incite the villagers to become worried. He said that the court charges are more politically oriented than aimed at terrorism, and such accusations are pressures to prevent these activists from performing their party duty.

Hang Chhaya confirmed: “… It could involve political bias because, first of all, it involves SRP party activists, and this case took place almost one year ago! It’s an old story…”

Hang Chhaya added that the civil society if looking for lawyers to defend these activists.

On Thursday, Pen Sarat, the prosecutor of the Kampong Thom provincial court, said that the cops have sufficient proof to charge the 4 activists of terrorism. He said that the 4 activists incited the villagers to have concerns over the village security.

Pen Sarat claimed: “They investigated, the majority based on what the witnesses showed, they (4 activists) went around to create problem, they made the villagers going into havoc! It is not about paper tiger, this is to form a movement, a movement of the mind to make people scared…”

Pen Sarat added that the court is continuing to perform additional investigation, but it has not yet reached a point where the 4 activists would be sent to jail. He said that, even though the 4 activists are not armed, the law still allows that they be charged with terrorism.

On Thursday, Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, called the Kampong Thom provincial court charges a joke. He said that this is a political case because the authority is concerned about the popularity of the opposition party in the province.

Cambodia: Helping Montagnards escape communist VN oppression is human trafficking; Promoting prostitution is considered National police chief

UN Pushes for Speedy Proceedings in Arrest of 3 Minorities

Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
02/05/2007

A UN human rights representative pressed Wednesday for Ratanakkiri provincial court to speed up proceedings against three Jarai minorities being held for human trafficking.

The three Jarai men, arrested April 20 for moving Vietnamese Montagnards across the border, should either be charged or released, the representative said.

Investigating Judge An Samnang said the process could not be sped up, because the court had only just received the charging documents.

CPP official confirms meeting between Sam Rainsy and Sok An

17 April 2007
By Phan Sophat
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

One CPP official said today that the meeting between opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Vice-Prime Minister Sok An, a high-ranking CPP official, was not held in the names of their respective parties.

This confirmation was made following the meeting between Sam Rainsy and Sok An at the office of the council of ministers last week.

Khieu Kanharith, CPP spokesman, said that the meeting was not between party representatives as requested by the Sam Rainsy Party.

Khieu Kanharith said: “In summary, if there were threats, first of all the court is there, and second, if there are other issues, then there is Sar Kheng (the Minister of Interior). But there could not be a meeting held between the two political parties, because the problems involve governance, for other problems, a meeting can be held with Sok An, but this does not mean that there is a meeting between SRP and CPP.”

Recently, SRP requested a meeting between high-ranking CPP and SRP officials to resolve the accusations leveled by the opposition SRP party that threats were made against SRP activists at the local level, starting from before the commune election and still persisting now.

Sam Rainsy told RFA about the essence of his meeting with Sok An that: “I am concerned because they (CPP members) are creating problems with SRP members following the commune election, and even those (SRP members) who have been elected as commune chiefs and commune councilors still face threats from CPP members and from the local authority currently. They threaten [SRP members], they bring to court fictitious charges to pressure SRP members. I believe that a discussion must be held, I am afraid that the high-ranking [CPP officials] are not aware about the local situation, they did not know about the pressure applied [against SRP members]. Therefore, the country leaders must take responsibility to intervene to end the pressure and the threats made against SRP members.”

However, Sam Rainsy also said that Sok An did not make any clear commitment in these issues.