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| Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com) |
Showing posts with label Funcinpec NRP soap opera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Funcinpec NRP soap opera. Show all posts
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Bone
Friday, August 08, 2008
Cambodian prince's supporters cling to hope of royal pardon
Aug 8, 2008
DPA
DPA
Phnom Penh - Supporters of self-exiled Prince Norodom Ranariddh said Friday they had not given up hope of a royal pardon over his conviction for breach of trust, which was upheld by his last avenue of appeal, the Supreme Court, last month.
Petitions to his half-brother King Norodom Sihamoni had flooded in from opposition groups and political parties appealing for the king to grant him a pardon, Norodom Ranariddh Party spokesman Muth Chantha said by telephone.
Chantha's comments followed a speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen widely published in local newspapers Friday in which he reiterated the prince must return and serve two thirds of his 18-month sentence.
'The king has the full right to grant amnesty to the prince for his conviction, and we appeal to the king directly,' Chantha said. 'We do not need to ask the government.'
Ranariddh's former Funcinpec party ousted him as president in October 2006 and then sued him, accusing him of embezzling some 3.6 million US dollars from the sale of the party headquarters that year.
He was convicted and sentenced in absentia the following year by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. The highest court in the land upheld the sentence July 30.
Supporters of the prince, including those from the self-named party he subsequently established, claim the charges are politically motivated and he should be allowed home from exile in Malaysia.
However Hun Sen has said he will stand firm, and the prince will have to serve time in one of Cambodia's notoriously stark prisons and will not escape punishment.
The palace has made no comment on the issue.
Petitions to his half-brother King Norodom Sihamoni had flooded in from opposition groups and political parties appealing for the king to grant him a pardon, Norodom Ranariddh Party spokesman Muth Chantha said by telephone.
Chantha's comments followed a speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen widely published in local newspapers Friday in which he reiterated the prince must return and serve two thirds of his 18-month sentence.
'The king has the full right to grant amnesty to the prince for his conviction, and we appeal to the king directly,' Chantha said. 'We do not need to ask the government.'
Ranariddh's former Funcinpec party ousted him as president in October 2006 and then sued him, accusing him of embezzling some 3.6 million US dollars from the sale of the party headquarters that year.
He was convicted and sentenced in absentia the following year by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. The highest court in the land upheld the sentence July 30.
Supporters of the prince, including those from the self-named party he subsequently established, claim the charges are politically motivated and he should be allowed home from exile in Malaysia.
However Hun Sen has said he will stand firm, and the prince will have to serve time in one of Cambodia's notoriously stark prisons and will not escape punishment.
The palace has made no comment on the issue.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Ranariddh Party Asks King to Pardon Prince
By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 August 2008
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 August 2008
The Norodom Ranariddh Party sent a letter to King Norodom Sihamoni Wednesday, requesting a pardon for Prince Ranariddh, following the Supreme Courts decision to uphold a breach of trust decision against him.
Prince Ranariddh, who is in exile, faces an 18-month prison sentence and $150,000 fine if he returns to Cambodia. He led his self-named party from Kuala Lumpur during the national election and has said he would not be able to return if his party did not win the election.
"We, the Norodom Ranariddh Party, want the king to use his role in the constitution to pardon Prince Norodom Ranariddh to return to Cambodian politics and social activity," party spokesman Muth Chantha said. "The prince is still very important for the nation in the course of legal democracy and the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms."
King Norodom Sihamoni joined former king Norodom Sihanouk on a trip to Beijing for the opening of the Summer Olympics Friday, and Royal Palace officials were not available for comment.
"We lost in the Municipal, Appeals and Supreme courts, so we can only depend on the king to pardon the prince," he said. "We strongly hope the king will pardon the prince."
Prince Ranariddh, who is in exile, faces an 18-month prison sentence and $150,000 fine if he returns to Cambodia. He led his self-named party from Kuala Lumpur during the national election and has said he would not be able to return if his party did not win the election.
"We, the Norodom Ranariddh Party, want the king to use his role in the constitution to pardon Prince Norodom Ranariddh to return to Cambodian politics and social activity," party spokesman Muth Chantha said. "The prince is still very important for the nation in the course of legal democracy and the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms."
King Norodom Sihamoni joined former king Norodom Sihanouk on a trip to Beijing for the opening of the Summer Olympics Friday, and Royal Palace officials were not available for comment.
"We lost in the Municipal, Appeals and Supreme courts, so we can only depend on the king to pardon the prince," he said. "We strongly hope the king will pardon the prince."
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Court Upholds Ruling on Exiled Prince
By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
30 July 2008
Original report from Phnom Penh
30 July 2008
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to uphold a prison sentence and fine against Prince Norodom Ranariddh on charges of breach of trust, for the sale of the Funcinpec party headquarters in 2006.
Prince Ranariddh, who lives in exile, and whose self-named party appears to have one two seats in the National Aseembly, faces an 18-month prison sentence and $150,000 fine if he returns to Cambodia.
Supreme Court Judge Khem Pon said Wednesday the court was denying a request to drop the charges against the prince, upholding decisions by Phnom Penh Municipal and Appeals courts.
The Appeals Court verdict was "fully valid," Khem Pon said in the decision, which was reached by a five-judge panel after deliberations Wednesday morning.
The charges stem from the $3.6 million sale of Funcinpec's headquarters in northern Phnom Penh when Prince Ranariddh was president of the party.
Party officials say he sold the headquarters without consulting them and further claim he kept some of the profits for himself.
Prince Ranariddh has said the decision against him was made by politically biased courts.
Prince Ranariddh, who lives in exile, and whose self-named party appears to have one two seats in the National Aseembly, faces an 18-month prison sentence and $150,000 fine if he returns to Cambodia.
Supreme Court Judge Khem Pon said Wednesday the court was denying a request to drop the charges against the prince, upholding decisions by Phnom Penh Municipal and Appeals courts.
The Appeals Court verdict was "fully valid," Khem Pon said in the decision, which was reached by a five-judge panel after deliberations Wednesday morning.
The charges stem from the $3.6 million sale of Funcinpec's headquarters in northern Phnom Penh when Prince Ranariddh was president of the party.
Party officials say he sold the headquarters without consulting them and further claim he kept some of the profits for himself.
Prince Ranariddh has said the decision against him was made by politically biased courts.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Cambodian prince loses appeal in embezzlement case
2008-07-30
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia's highest court upheld a guilty verdict against an exiled former prime minister on embezzlement charges Wednesday, effectively barring him from returning home to resume his political career.
Supreme Court Judge Chhim Sophal upheld a lower court's ruling last year that found Prince Norodom Ranariddh guilty of breach of trust and sentenced him to 18 months in prison. The lawsuit was filed by the prince's former colleagues in the royalist Funcinpec party, which he once led.
The ruling will make it difficult for Ranariddh, a once-influential national figure who is the son of former King Norodom Sihanouk, to stage a political comeback. Ranariddh was co-prime minister of the country from 1993-97.
His supporters say the lawsuit and ruling were politically motivated.
The Funcinpec party, which ousted Ranariddh as president in October 2006, sued the prince accusing him of embezzling some US$3.6 million from the sale of the party's headquarters in August that year.
Funcinpec cited the prince's alleged incompetence and frequent absences from the country as the reason for his ouster from the party.
In March 2007, a municipal court judge sentenced the prince _ who has been living in exile since before his removal from Funcinpec _ in absentia. It also ordered him to pay US$150,000 in compensation to the party.
After his ouster, Ranariddh formed the Norodom Ranariddh Party. The party took part in last weekend's parliamentary election and unofficial results, show it winning two seats in the 123-seat lower house of parliament.
His party issued a statement Wednesday saying the prince was innocent and condemning the final ruling as «senseless and unjust.
«The ruling was politically motivated. We are now looking for ways to bring him back to Cambodia,» Muth Chantha, the party spokesman, said without elaborating.
Ranariddh served as a co-prime minister with Prime Minister Hun Sen before the latter toppled him in a two-day armed clash in 1997.
Under Cambodian law, he will be barred from running for public office unless he serves at least two-thirds of his jail term or receives a pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni, his half-brother.
Ranariddh is currently believed to be living in Malaysia.
Supreme Court Judge Chhim Sophal upheld a lower court's ruling last year that found Prince Norodom Ranariddh guilty of breach of trust and sentenced him to 18 months in prison. The lawsuit was filed by the prince's former colleagues in the royalist Funcinpec party, which he once led.
The ruling will make it difficult for Ranariddh, a once-influential national figure who is the son of former King Norodom Sihanouk, to stage a political comeback. Ranariddh was co-prime minister of the country from 1993-97.
His supporters say the lawsuit and ruling were politically motivated.
The Funcinpec party, which ousted Ranariddh as president in October 2006, sued the prince accusing him of embezzling some US$3.6 million from the sale of the party's headquarters in August that year.
Funcinpec cited the prince's alleged incompetence and frequent absences from the country as the reason for his ouster from the party.
In March 2007, a municipal court judge sentenced the prince _ who has been living in exile since before his removal from Funcinpec _ in absentia. It also ordered him to pay US$150,000 in compensation to the party.
After his ouster, Ranariddh formed the Norodom Ranariddh Party. The party took part in last weekend's parliamentary election and unofficial results, show it winning two seats in the 123-seat lower house of parliament.
His party issued a statement Wednesday saying the prince was innocent and condemning the final ruling as «senseless and unjust.
«The ruling was politically motivated. We are now looking for ways to bring him back to Cambodia,» Muth Chantha, the party spokesman, said without elaborating.
Ranariddh served as a co-prime minister with Prime Minister Hun Sen before the latter toppled him in a two-day armed clash in 1997.
Under Cambodian law, he will be barred from running for public office unless he serves at least two-thirds of his jail term or receives a pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni, his half-brother.
Ranariddh is currently believed to be living in Malaysia.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Nhiek Bun chhay Dubbed 'Hun Sen Puppet' for Plotting To Merge FUNCINPEC With CPP
05 Jul 08
By Veasna
Samleng Yuveakchon Khmer (Voice of Khmer Youth)
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous
By Veasna
Samleng Yuveakchon Khmer (Voice of Khmer Youth)
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous
Nhiek Bun chhay said in his own voice, "I thought out and prepared the plot against Prince Norodom Ranariddh by staging a party coup to overthrow him five months earlier." In fact, mostly people knew about the plot of the Nhiek Bun chhay group at the beginning of October 2006 when Hun Sen used a ceremony in Kampong Chhnang province to publicly order Nhiek Bun chhay to overthrow Prince Norodom Ranariddh as president of the FUNCINPEC [National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, and Peaceful Cambodia] Party.
Hun Sen's remark there made other people know that he certainly was regularly informed by Nhiek Bun chhay about the working of the plot to eliminate Prince Norodom Ranariddh and annihilate the FUNCINPEC Party.
At the same time, Nhiek Bun chhay, then deeply contrite because the FUNCINPEC Party was broken up by his own ignorance and stupidity and that of his group, made a confession without hiding anything. He admitted that he and his cronies cooked up the plot to betray Prince Norodom Ranariddh five months before the party coup.
It is true that Nhiek Bun chhay himself spoke at a secret close-door meeting of the party's internal circle in Kampong Cham province during which he frankly declared that he held frequent secret meetings with Hun Sen in order to discuss the plan to merge the FUNCINPEC Party with the Cambodian People's Party [CPP].
One of Nhiek Bun chhay's men sneaked out a tape recording of his remarks and gave it to the Norodom Ranariddh Party [NRP] to broadcast in its Voice of the Royalists program.
According to Nhiek Bun chhay's recorded confession about the betrayal, he said, "I had several meetings with Samdech Hun Sen in order to discuss the plan to merge the whole FUNCINPEC Party with the CPP. But Samdech Hun Sen said, 'Wait, it is not time yet. Let us wait a little more.'"
This is clear, irrefutable evidence of Nhiek Bun chhay's plan to become Hun Sen's puppet in order to neutralize and destroy the FUNCINPEC Party and incorporate it into the CPP.
Hun Sen himself said at an internal secret meeting in Pouthisat province in the morning of 23 June 2008, a tape recording of which the NRP also broadcasted for the information of the Cambodian people, that Nhiek Bun chhay's FUNCINPEC Party was his puppet.
Hun Sen talked about the FUNCINPEC Party of Nhiek Bun chhay, Arun Reaksmei, and Kev Put Reaksmei, saying that "the current breakup of the FUNCINPEC Party shows that this party is truly a puppet of Hun Sen."
The political attitude, in which Nhiek Bun chhay cheapened himself in the plot to sell out the Nhiek Bun chhay party to Hun Sen's CPP in return for just having the CPP accepted himself, Nhiek Bun chhay, and his cronies, clearly shows the political and personal worthlessness of Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, Loe Laysreng, and their henchmen Serei Kosal, Ok Socheat, Kim Vien, and so on.
The personal worthiness of Nhiek Bun chhay and the other FUNCINPEC Party chieftains, including Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Serei Kosal, Ok Socheat, and Kim Vien was over once Nhiek Bun chhay admitted to the FUNCINPEC Party's internal circle that he had contacted Hun Sen to disintegrate the FUNCINPEC Party and incorporate it into the CPP.
And to the Cambodian people who have just learned about the truth that has been revealed one after another concerning Nhiek Bun chhay's plot to sell out the FUNCINPEC Party to Hun Sen's CPP disclosed by the Voice of the Royalists, Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, Loe Laysreng and their henchmen Serei Kosal, Ok Socheat, and Kim Vien are nothing but puppets of Hun Sen.
Hun Sen himself after using Nhiek Bun chhay to break up the FUNCINPEC Party by eliminating Prince Norodom Ranariddh has considered the group of Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Loe Laysreng, and Sisowath Sirirat as his worthless puppet politicians.
What Hun Sen said should be enough to make Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Loe Laysreng, and Sisowath Sirirat vomit blood right away if they knew how to use their brain to cogitate correctly. Hun Sen said that the CPP would not share anything with the FUNCINPEC Party; do not wait for it. Hun Sen made this remark as he knew that the FUNCINPEC Party would not win a single seat in parliament and would soon disintegrate.
One thing that more clearly affirms that the FUNCINPEC Party of Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei was born out of the 18 October 2006 party coup is that the overthrow of Prince Norodom Ranariddh was a treason in line with Nhiek Bun chhay's plot to breakup the FUNCINPEC and incorporate it into Hun Sen's CPP. All this has become only too obvious.
Princess Arunreaksmei, prime ministerial candidate of the FUNCINPEC Party, has already admitted that she has betrayed her own half-brother Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
Hun Sen's remark there made other people know that he certainly was regularly informed by Nhiek Bun chhay about the working of the plot to eliminate Prince Norodom Ranariddh and annihilate the FUNCINPEC Party.
At the same time, Nhiek Bun chhay, then deeply contrite because the FUNCINPEC Party was broken up by his own ignorance and stupidity and that of his group, made a confession without hiding anything. He admitted that he and his cronies cooked up the plot to betray Prince Norodom Ranariddh five months before the party coup.
It is true that Nhiek Bun chhay himself spoke at a secret close-door meeting of the party's internal circle in Kampong Cham province during which he frankly declared that he held frequent secret meetings with Hun Sen in order to discuss the plan to merge the FUNCINPEC Party with the Cambodian People's Party [CPP].
One of Nhiek Bun chhay's men sneaked out a tape recording of his remarks and gave it to the Norodom Ranariddh Party [NRP] to broadcast in its Voice of the Royalists program.
According to Nhiek Bun chhay's recorded confession about the betrayal, he said, "I had several meetings with Samdech Hun Sen in order to discuss the plan to merge the whole FUNCINPEC Party with the CPP. But Samdech Hun Sen said, 'Wait, it is not time yet. Let us wait a little more.'"
This is clear, irrefutable evidence of Nhiek Bun chhay's plan to become Hun Sen's puppet in order to neutralize and destroy the FUNCINPEC Party and incorporate it into the CPP.
Hun Sen himself said at an internal secret meeting in Pouthisat province in the morning of 23 June 2008, a tape recording of which the NRP also broadcasted for the information of the Cambodian people, that Nhiek Bun chhay's FUNCINPEC Party was his puppet.
Hun Sen talked about the FUNCINPEC Party of Nhiek Bun chhay, Arun Reaksmei, and Kev Put Reaksmei, saying that "the current breakup of the FUNCINPEC Party shows that this party is truly a puppet of Hun Sen."
The political attitude, in which Nhiek Bun chhay cheapened himself in the plot to sell out the Nhiek Bun chhay party to Hun Sen's CPP in return for just having the CPP accepted himself, Nhiek Bun chhay, and his cronies, clearly shows the political and personal worthlessness of Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, Loe Laysreng, and their henchmen Serei Kosal, Ok Socheat, Kim Vien, and so on.
The personal worthiness of Nhiek Bun chhay and the other FUNCINPEC Party chieftains, including Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Serei Kosal, Ok Socheat, and Kim Vien was over once Nhiek Bun chhay admitted to the FUNCINPEC Party's internal circle that he had contacted Hun Sen to disintegrate the FUNCINPEC Party and incorporate it into the CPP.
And to the Cambodian people who have just learned about the truth that has been revealed one after another concerning Nhiek Bun chhay's plot to sell out the FUNCINPEC Party to Hun Sen's CPP disclosed by the Voice of the Royalists, Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Sisowath Sirirat, Loe Laysreng and their henchmen Serei Kosal, Ok Socheat, and Kim Vien are nothing but puppets of Hun Sen.
Hun Sen himself after using Nhiek Bun chhay to break up the FUNCINPEC Party by eliminating Prince Norodom Ranariddh has considered the group of Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Loe Laysreng, and Sisowath Sirirat as his worthless puppet politicians.
What Hun Sen said should be enough to make Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei, Loe Laysreng, and Sisowath Sirirat vomit blood right away if they knew how to use their brain to cogitate correctly. Hun Sen said that the CPP would not share anything with the FUNCINPEC Party; do not wait for it. Hun Sen made this remark as he knew that the FUNCINPEC Party would not win a single seat in parliament and would soon disintegrate.
One thing that more clearly affirms that the FUNCINPEC Party of Nhiek Bun chhay, Arunreaksmei, Kev Put Reaksmei was born out of the 18 October 2006 party coup is that the overthrow of Prince Norodom Ranariddh was a treason in line with Nhiek Bun chhay's plot to breakup the FUNCINPEC and incorporate it into Hun Sen's CPP. All this has become only too obvious.
Princess Arunreaksmei, prime ministerial candidate of the FUNCINPEC Party, has already admitted that she has betrayed her own half-brother Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Nhiek Bun Chhay rejects NRP’s accusation
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by KI-Media
Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, rejected the accusation made by the NRP during the election campaign, saying that he was behind the coup-de-party to remove Prince Ranariddh from the Funcinpec presidency. In an interview posted on the Funcinpec party website of 02 July 2008, Nhiek Bun Chhay, who is also a vice-prime minister in the current government, said that the NRP accused the F’pec leadership and himself in its election campaign, saying that these F’pec leaders were traitors who held a coup-de-party to topple Prince Norodom Ranariddh, under an order from Hun Sen. Nhiek Bun Chhay said that this is not new, it is the same story that the NRP is repeating again and again. Nhiek Bun Chhay confirmed that, in reality, he was not behind the coup-de-party as he was accused of, it was the prince who wanted to form the NRP since before 18 October 2006 (the date of the coup-de-party), Nhiek Bun Chhay claimed that there are many witnesses who knew and heard about this, in particular, the NRP leaders. He added that he did not hold the coup-de-party to topple the prince, it was the prince who wanted to eliminate the Funcinpec, therefore, what he did was to prevent this action from happening.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Prince Ranariddh’s Million-Dollar Mansion Confiscated
10th May 2008
Rasmei Kampuchea Daily
Translated by Khmerization
On the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com
In a statement released on the 9th of May, the NRP has criticised the Council of Ministers and Nhiek Bunchhay as well as the court for conspiring to confiscate the Prince Ranariddh’s mansion.
The NRP said that the District Court had decided on the 17th of July 2007 by ordering Prince Ranariddh to transfer the ownership of the mansion to Nhiek Bunchhay but the prince’s lawyer lodged an application of appeal against the District Court’s decision.
While the appeal has not been heard yet, the Council of Ministers has conspired with Nhiek Bunchay and issued a letter of directive No. 1028 dated 23rd July 2007 ordering the confiscation of the mansion to give to Nhiek Bunchhay to sell so the proceeds can be shared among other officials.
According to the NRP, the prince had official title of ownership issued by sub-decree no. 25 with the certificate of ownership no. PP 27633 dated 15th June 2005, officially signed by Mr. Kep Chutema, Governor of Phnom Penh.
The NRP said that Prince Ranariddh was not against the confiscation of the mansion, if it was confiscated for public interests. But he is against the confiscation because it was done with the conspiracy between the government and Nhiek Bunchhay.
Mr. Liv Sovanna, Prince Ranariddh’s lawyer, said that the prince’s mansion is situated at no. 32 Sisowath St., Chey Chumneas commune, Daun Penh district, Phnom Penh.
According to the prince’s lawyer, when the prince was made aware of the confiscation of his mansion, it has been sold and re-sold twice already. So he asked his lawyer to lodge the application of injunction to stop it from being re-sold again. However, when the prince’s lawyer lodged the application of injunction, the court has immediately dismissed the application using the reasons that the prince did not live at the mansion and also the title of ownership has been cancelled by a Letter of Directive and the ownership was transferred into Nhiek Bunchhay’s name.
Nhiek Bunchhay, Secretary-General of Funcinpec Party, denied any involvement with the transfer and sales of this mansion, saying: “I don’t know anything in relation to this matter.”
But another Funcinpec official said that Prince Ranariddh received the ownership of this mansion in his capacity as the chairman of the National Assembly. So, when he is no longer the chairman of the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers has the right to ask for the return of the mansion. This same official said that the mansion was not in the ownership of Nhiek Bunchhay, despite Nhiek Chhay had written a letter asking for the transfer of the mansion to his name.
Rasmei Kampuchea Daily
Translated by Khmerization
On the web at http://khmerization.blogspot.com
"When the water rises, the fish eats the ants. When the water withdraw, the ants eat the fish" - Cambodian ProverbThe Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) on the 9th of May has raised the issue related to the confiscation of his million-dollar mansion by accusing Nhiek Bunchhay of asking for the transfer of ownership of the mansion to sell and sharing the proceeds with other officials.
In a statement released on the 9th of May, the NRP has criticised the Council of Ministers and Nhiek Bunchhay as well as the court for conspiring to confiscate the Prince Ranariddh’s mansion.
The NRP said that the District Court had decided on the 17th of July 2007 by ordering Prince Ranariddh to transfer the ownership of the mansion to Nhiek Bunchhay but the prince’s lawyer lodged an application of appeal against the District Court’s decision.
While the appeal has not been heard yet, the Council of Ministers has conspired with Nhiek Bunchay and issued a letter of directive No. 1028 dated 23rd July 2007 ordering the confiscation of the mansion to give to Nhiek Bunchhay to sell so the proceeds can be shared among other officials.
According to the NRP, the prince had official title of ownership issued by sub-decree no. 25 with the certificate of ownership no. PP 27633 dated 15th June 2005, officially signed by Mr. Kep Chutema, Governor of Phnom Penh.
The NRP said that Prince Ranariddh was not against the confiscation of the mansion, if it was confiscated for public interests. But he is against the confiscation because it was done with the conspiracy between the government and Nhiek Bunchhay.
Mr. Liv Sovanna, Prince Ranariddh’s lawyer, said that the prince’s mansion is situated at no. 32 Sisowath St., Chey Chumneas commune, Daun Penh district, Phnom Penh.
According to the prince’s lawyer, when the prince was made aware of the confiscation of his mansion, it has been sold and re-sold twice already. So he asked his lawyer to lodge the application of injunction to stop it from being re-sold again. However, when the prince’s lawyer lodged the application of injunction, the court has immediately dismissed the application using the reasons that the prince did not live at the mansion and also the title of ownership has been cancelled by a Letter of Directive and the ownership was transferred into Nhiek Bunchhay’s name.
Nhiek Bunchhay, Secretary-General of Funcinpec Party, denied any involvement with the transfer and sales of this mansion, saying: “I don’t know anything in relation to this matter.”
But another Funcinpec official said that Prince Ranariddh received the ownership of this mansion in his capacity as the chairman of the National Assembly. So, when he is no longer the chairman of the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers has the right to ask for the return of the mansion. This same official said that the mansion was not in the ownership of Nhiek Bunchhay, despite Nhiek Chhay had written a letter asking for the transfer of the mansion to his name.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Ranariddh changes his candidacy to Phnom Penh city
Tuesday, April 29, 2008Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
A report indicated that Prince Norodom Ranariddh, NRP president who is still not able to return home, changed his candidacy from Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh instead. Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, told the Kampuchea Thmei newspaper that the reason the prince is presenting his candidacy in Phnom Penh is because he was a longtime MP representing the province of Kampong Cham. However, the NRP is concerned about whether the prince will have the ability to return home or not. Muth Chantha said that, in reality, we want the sentence on the prince be issued quickly so that the king can pardon him. However, if the sentence is delayed until close to the election period, and the NEC removes his name from the list of candidates, this would mean that the government does not want the prince to return home. Muth Chantha indicated that if this scenario would occur, it would be a serious injustice for our country which upholds democracy.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Ranariddh: My return faces obstacles
16 April 2008By Phan Sophat Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Prince Ranariddh said that his return home is currently facing obstacles because of the conditions set by Prime minister Hun Sen are not acceptable to the prince.
During a phone call from his exile in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the prince told RFA that accepting any of the conditions imposed on him would be a political suicide not only for himself, but also for the NRP, his party, as well.
Prince Ranariddh said: “They have set 3 conditions: (1) I must write an apology letter to those who gave me hardship, just like what Mr. Sam Rainsy did. I cannot do this because I did not commit any mistake to the nation or to the country at all. (2) They said that, I, Norodom Ranariddh should stop being involved in politics. If I stop getting involved in politics today, tomorrow I can return back home right away. I am telling you: Norodom Ranariddh cannot stop being involved in politics. I cannot accept this second condition, Sir. And for the third condition, they said that I must lead the Funcinpec party again, I am telling you: I cannot return back home.”
In reaction of the prince’s announcement, Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman and CPP spokesman, said that the prince’s claims are merely his political game to hide his own offences only.
Khieu Kanharith said: “Samdach Hun Sen never interfere in Prince Ranariddh’s problems. We already know that, regarding letters, it was in fact the prince who wrote letter(s) to Samdach Hun Sen to nominate his people to negotiate his case. Samdach Hun Sen even showed these letters to reporters also. The prince legal case is a criminal case. But, we know that, if Funcinpec, the plaintiff, pulls out its complaint, then arrangements could be made, however, when the prince saw that, he thought that Samdach Hun Sen was setting conditions. The prince and Samdach Hun Sen are not in any quarrel with each other. Furthermore, Samdach PM only wants to help coordinate, but when it comes to conditions, there were none.”
Prince Ranariddh has been living in exile for the past several months, following the sentence handed down to him by the Phnom Penh municipal court in regards to the sale of the party property lawsuit brought up by Nhiek Bun Chhay, the prince former colleague who is now the party secretary-general.
Regarding this lawsuit, Prince Ranariddh accused Hun Sen of being behind the attempt to kill his political career, but Hun Sen kept on insisting that this problem is the prince’s personal issue.
Prince Ranariddh said also that his absence from the country, especially, during the upcoming general election, will not allow this election to be held freely and fairly.
Nevertheless, government officials and national and international observers said that, even with the absence of the prince, the NRP can still pursue its activities in the upcoming election.
During a phone call from his exile in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the prince told RFA that accepting any of the conditions imposed on him would be a political suicide not only for himself, but also for the NRP, his party, as well.
Prince Ranariddh said: “They have set 3 conditions: (1) I must write an apology letter to those who gave me hardship, just like what Mr. Sam Rainsy did. I cannot do this because I did not commit any mistake to the nation or to the country at all. (2) They said that, I, Norodom Ranariddh should stop being involved in politics. If I stop getting involved in politics today, tomorrow I can return back home right away. I am telling you: Norodom Ranariddh cannot stop being involved in politics. I cannot accept this second condition, Sir. And for the third condition, they said that I must lead the Funcinpec party again, I am telling you: I cannot return back home.”
In reaction of the prince’s announcement, Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman and CPP spokesman, said that the prince’s claims are merely his political game to hide his own offences only.
Khieu Kanharith said: “Samdach Hun Sen never interfere in Prince Ranariddh’s problems. We already know that, regarding letters, it was in fact the prince who wrote letter(s) to Samdach Hun Sen to nominate his people to negotiate his case. Samdach Hun Sen even showed these letters to reporters also. The prince legal case is a criminal case. But, we know that, if Funcinpec, the plaintiff, pulls out its complaint, then arrangements could be made, however, when the prince saw that, he thought that Samdach Hun Sen was setting conditions. The prince and Samdach Hun Sen are not in any quarrel with each other. Furthermore, Samdach PM only wants to help coordinate, but when it comes to conditions, there were none.”
Prince Ranariddh has been living in exile for the past several months, following the sentence handed down to him by the Phnom Penh municipal court in regards to the sale of the party property lawsuit brought up by Nhiek Bun Chhay, the prince former colleague who is now the party secretary-general.
Regarding this lawsuit, Prince Ranariddh accused Hun Sen of being behind the attempt to kill his political career, but Hun Sen kept on insisting that this problem is the prince’s personal issue.
Prince Ranariddh said also that his absence from the country, especially, during the upcoming general election, will not allow this election to be held freely and fairly.
Nevertheless, government officials and national and international observers said that, even with the absence of the prince, the NRP can still pursue its activities in the upcoming election.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Funcinpec removes Thomico from party senior advisor position … 6 months after the prince sent in his resignation letter
Wednesday, March 19, 2008Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
On 17 March, Funcinpec decided to accept Prince Thomico’s resignation from his position as senior party advisor. It took almost 6 months for Funcinpec to come up to this decision, following the resignation letter sent by the prince to the party on 24 September 2007.
In a letter dated 17 March 2008 sent to the prince, Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec party president, stated: “The Funcinpec party has agreed to your request for resignation from the position of Funcinpec party senior advisor.”
This decision was made based on the prince’s resignation letter dated 24 September 2007, because the prince said that he wanted to have full freedom to express his opinions on various national issues.
On 18 March, Prince Thomico said that he was surprised that Funcinpec allowed him to resign. He said that this decision is made now because he sent a letter to Hun Sen asking the latter for a national reconciliation through the Sangkum Reastr Niyum’s spirit, and also because what he talked about was different from the Funcinpec political line. According to Funcinpec’s Ok Socheat, the removal of the prince from this position stems from the fact that, recently, the prince wanted a negotiation to reconcile the royal family members (i.e. with Ranariddh).
Prince Thomico said that, now, they (Funcinpec) kicked him out from the position of senior party advisor, and in the future, they would send him a letter to kick him out of the party altogether.
On 17 March, Prince Thomico sent a letter to Prince Ranariddh, asking the latter’s authorization to seek a political resolution to allow Ranariddh to return back to Cambodia. However, Prince Thomico’s request was rejected by Prince Ranariddh’s NRP party.
In a letter dated 17 March 2008 sent to the prince, Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec party president, stated: “The Funcinpec party has agreed to your request for resignation from the position of Funcinpec party senior advisor.”
This decision was made based on the prince’s resignation letter dated 24 September 2007, because the prince said that he wanted to have full freedom to express his opinions on various national issues.
On 18 March, Prince Thomico said that he was surprised that Funcinpec allowed him to resign. He said that this decision is made now because he sent a letter to Hun Sen asking the latter for a national reconciliation through the Sangkum Reastr Niyum’s spirit, and also because what he talked about was different from the Funcinpec political line. According to Funcinpec’s Ok Socheat, the removal of the prince from this position stems from the fact that, recently, the prince wanted a negotiation to reconcile the royal family members (i.e. with Ranariddh).
Prince Thomico said that, now, they (Funcinpec) kicked him out from the position of senior party advisor, and in the future, they would send him a letter to kick him out of the party altogether.
On 17 March, Prince Thomico sent a letter to Prince Ranariddh, asking the latter’s authorization to seek a political resolution to allow Ranariddh to return back to Cambodia. However, Prince Thomico’s request was rejected by Prince Ranariddh’s NRP party.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
F’pec sues NRP deputy secretary-general for $1 million for defamation
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
The Funcinpec party sued the NRP deputy secretary-general for defamation and spreading false information, and it asked for $1 million in damage compensation from the latter for saying that Princess Arunrasmi has a first and a second husband. Furthermore, Funcinpec plans to sue You Hockry, NRP secretary-general, and Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, on this same case also. Ok Socheat, Funcinpec advisor, told the Rasmei Kampuchea on 07 March that his party, the Funcinpec, sued Thav Kim Hor, NRP deputy secretary-general on 06 March on 4 counts: (1) for cursing and scorning, defaming Princess Arunrasmi, (2) for spreading false information, (3) for violating a woman right, and (4) for incitation and discrimination. Thav Kim Hor said that he is not worried about this lawsuit because he did not defame the princess, he only said that Prince Sisowath Sirirath (Funcinpec party vice-president) was the princess ex-husband, and Keo Puth Rasmey (Funcinpec president) is her second husband. He said that King-Father used to say this also, why don’t they sue him as well?
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KI-Media note: The Cambodia Daily reported on 10 March that, according to Ok Socheat, Thav Kim Hor allegedly said that the fact that the princess has an ex-husband and a second husband, this makes her unfit to lead.
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KI-Media note: The Cambodia Daily reported on 10 March that, according to Ok Socheat, Thav Kim Hor allegedly said that the fact that the princess has an ex-husband and a second husband, this makes her unfit to lead.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Nhiek Bun Chhay Sees Ranariddh as Good Leader Spoilt by 1993 Election Success
21 Feb 08
By Chey Dara
Sralanh Khmer
http://srolanhkhmer.blogspot.com
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous
By Chey Dara
Sralanh Khmer
http://srolanhkhmer.blogspot.com
Translated from Khmer by Anonymous
FUNCINPEC [National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, and Peaceful Cambodia] Party Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay asserted that Prince Ranariddh was a good leader during the time of the resistance against the Vietnamese aggressors in the 1980s and 1990s. But the prince went adrift after winning the elections. He betrayed his promise by not handing power back to the King Father and he had too many wives, wallowed in heaps of dollars, and engaged in corruption, thus recently sending FUNCINPEC into a tailspin.
Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay talked to the former Siahnoukist Army's resistance fighters in Banteay Meanchey province on Saturday last week. He said that if his group failed to reform the party in time FUNCINPEC would have lost its presence in history and what the King Father did in erecting FUNCINPEC would have eventually disappeared.
Concerning the prince as a person, Nhiek Bun Chhay said that in reality, his group did not expel him from the FUNCINPEC Party but the prince volunteered to walk out in order to form a new party of his own after it was necessary for FUNCINPEC to undergo an in-depth reform so that this party would survive.
Nevertheless, Nhiek Bun Chhay still admired Prince Ranariddh as an excellent leader of the FUNCINPEC movement during the fight against foreign aggressors when the prince had Princess Marie as his only wife. However, after repatriation and the triumphant participation in the 1993 general elections the prince changed his colors as he lost his head over corruption, did not care about the resistance fighters, and was overwhelmed by money and women. Al this led those who used to support FUNCINPEC to leave FUNCINPEC one after another. Nhiek Bun Chhay pointed out that in 1993 FUNCINPEC won 58 seats; in 1998 it won 43 seats; but in 2003 it had only 23 seats left.
The secretary-general of the FUNCINPEC Party further said that he did not want to bring up the past. But since the prince kept listening only to a couple of sycophants and has continued to attack FUNCINPEC he deemed it necessary to expose some aspects of the prince's mischief for the uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters who are former resistance fighters, particular those in Banteay Meanchey, to really know this individual. He affirmed that after winning the 1993 elections Prince Ranariddh refused to return the power to the King Father as promised during the FUNCINPEC electoral campaign. The other misdeed was that Prince Ranariddh willfully forgot the good service of thousands of resistance fighters while selling government positions to unknown people from no matter where in order to raise millions of dollars for own use. The former resistance fighters were forced to live without support in abject misery.
Nhiek Bun Chhay stated that the newcomers came from no one knew where, such as Hokkri, who immediately became minister of interior. He said that at that time anyone who wanted to be a minister or a provincial governor had to pay the prince from $50,000 to $100,000.
This FUNCINPEC secretary-general went on to say that besides being plied with loads of dollars, the prince was offered many young women. This completely intoxicated him and made him forget his wife and children. Nhiek Bun Chhay said that Prince Ranariddh had four to five young wives, some staying in Malaysia, some living in France, and some left behind in Bangkok. Each of the prince's consorts had a mansion and a luxury car. It was these bribes in dollars and supplies of women by the sycophant officials that caused the prince to become irresponsible, whiling away his days in company of these young women and listening only to the orders of the handful of sycophants around him.
Concerning the fortune of Prince Ranariddh, Nhiek Bun Chhay said that when they all left the jungle and entered the city, they were equally penniless. But after wielding power for nearly three terms, the prince had owned 10 aircrafts, dozens of modern cars, mansions everywhere, land by the hundreds and thousands of hectares, and millions of dollars to spend.
What Nhiek Bun Chhay seemed to be most angry with was the fact that the toadies around the prince kept cursing FUNCINPEC, wishing it to disintegrate in this fourth term. When he addressed the people in Banteay Meanchey last Saturday, Nhiek Bun Chhay said that he was afraid the ill-wishers themselves would die before other people.
General Kieng Vang, one of the former Sihanoukist resistance fighters who accompanied Nhiek Bun Chhay during his visit with the people in Banteay Meanchey, asserted that previously he joined the Sam Rainsy Party because he was unhappy with the Prince Ranariddh's ingratitude toward the resistance fighters. He said that now that FUNCINPEC no longer has Prince Ranariddh with it he returns to the fold among the former resistance fighters in the FUNCINPEC Party.
Nhiek Bun Chhay affirmed that he had ordered his men to dig the tombs of the 4 or 5,000 former resistance fighters who died in the war against the foreign aggressors and he would organize a grand memorial service for them by the end of March. He has plans to dedicate religious merits to the souls of those who sacrificed their lives for the nation, including the former fighters from the party of Uncle Son Sann and the party of Democratic Kampuchea, in order to let them rest in peace in an appropriate gesture of gratitude to all these fallen heroes.
Secretary-General Nhiek Bun Chhay talked to the former Siahnoukist Army's resistance fighters in Banteay Meanchey province on Saturday last week. He said that if his group failed to reform the party in time FUNCINPEC would have lost its presence in history and what the King Father did in erecting FUNCINPEC would have eventually disappeared.
Concerning the prince as a person, Nhiek Bun Chhay said that in reality, his group did not expel him from the FUNCINPEC Party but the prince volunteered to walk out in order to form a new party of his own after it was necessary for FUNCINPEC to undergo an in-depth reform so that this party would survive.
Nevertheless, Nhiek Bun Chhay still admired Prince Ranariddh as an excellent leader of the FUNCINPEC movement during the fight against foreign aggressors when the prince had Princess Marie as his only wife. However, after repatriation and the triumphant participation in the 1993 general elections the prince changed his colors as he lost his head over corruption, did not care about the resistance fighters, and was overwhelmed by money and women. Al this led those who used to support FUNCINPEC to leave FUNCINPEC one after another. Nhiek Bun Chhay pointed out that in 1993 FUNCINPEC won 58 seats; in 1998 it won 43 seats; but in 2003 it had only 23 seats left.
The secretary-general of the FUNCINPEC Party further said that he did not want to bring up the past. But since the prince kept listening only to a couple of sycophants and has continued to attack FUNCINPEC he deemed it necessary to expose some aspects of the prince's mischief for the uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters who are former resistance fighters, particular those in Banteay Meanchey, to really know this individual. He affirmed that after winning the 1993 elections Prince Ranariddh refused to return the power to the King Father as promised during the FUNCINPEC electoral campaign. The other misdeed was that Prince Ranariddh willfully forgot the good service of thousands of resistance fighters while selling government positions to unknown people from no matter where in order to raise millions of dollars for own use. The former resistance fighters were forced to live without support in abject misery.
Nhiek Bun Chhay stated that the newcomers came from no one knew where, such as Hokkri, who immediately became minister of interior. He said that at that time anyone who wanted to be a minister or a provincial governor had to pay the prince from $50,000 to $100,000.
This FUNCINPEC secretary-general went on to say that besides being plied with loads of dollars, the prince was offered many young women. This completely intoxicated him and made him forget his wife and children. Nhiek Bun Chhay said that Prince Ranariddh had four to five young wives, some staying in Malaysia, some living in France, and some left behind in Bangkok. Each of the prince's consorts had a mansion and a luxury car. It was these bribes in dollars and supplies of women by the sycophant officials that caused the prince to become irresponsible, whiling away his days in company of these young women and listening only to the orders of the handful of sycophants around him.
Concerning the fortune of Prince Ranariddh, Nhiek Bun Chhay said that when they all left the jungle and entered the city, they were equally penniless. But after wielding power for nearly three terms, the prince had owned 10 aircrafts, dozens of modern cars, mansions everywhere, land by the hundreds and thousands of hectares, and millions of dollars to spend.
What Nhiek Bun Chhay seemed to be most angry with was the fact that the toadies around the prince kept cursing FUNCINPEC, wishing it to disintegrate in this fourth term. When he addressed the people in Banteay Meanchey last Saturday, Nhiek Bun Chhay said that he was afraid the ill-wishers themselves would die before other people.
General Kieng Vang, one of the former Sihanoukist resistance fighters who accompanied Nhiek Bun Chhay during his visit with the people in Banteay Meanchey, asserted that previously he joined the Sam Rainsy Party because he was unhappy with the Prince Ranariddh's ingratitude toward the resistance fighters. He said that now that FUNCINPEC no longer has Prince Ranariddh with it he returns to the fold among the former resistance fighters in the FUNCINPEC Party.
Nhiek Bun Chhay affirmed that he had ordered his men to dig the tombs of the 4 or 5,000 former resistance fighters who died in the war against the foreign aggressors and he would organize a grand memorial service for them by the end of March. He has plans to dedicate religious merits to the souls of those who sacrificed their lives for the nation, including the former fighters from the party of Uncle Son Sann and the party of Democratic Kampuchea, in order to let them rest in peace in an appropriate gesture of gratitude to all these fallen heroes.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
You Hockry’s "rocket science" discovery: Nhiek Bun Chhay’s attack on Prince Ranariddh was for political gain
You Hocky (L) and Nhiek Bun Chhay (R) (Photos: RFA)Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Kampuchea Thmei newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
You Hockry, vice-president of the NRP, said that the attack on Prince Ranariddh by Nhiek Bun Chhay was done for political gain only. He indicated that the prince never betrayed the Hero-King (King-Father), everything the prince did was decided by the constitution council only.
Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, is constantly attacking Prince Ranariddh, and he called the prince leadership as being weak, and it led to the demise of the party popularity. Recently, in Banteay meanchey province, during a meeting with Funcinpec party activists on 18 February, Nhiek Bun Chhay told his party activists that before the 1993 election, Prince Ranariddh made an election promise that should he win the election, he would turn over power to Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk, but after the election where he indeed won, the prince kept the power for himself instead (by becoming prime minister No. 1). At the same time, Nhiek Bun Chhay accused the prince of being involved in corruption in the nomination of party officials to government positions, and at the end, the prince purchased the party’s headquarters and assigned its ownership to his name.
Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, said the transfer of power to the Hero-King or not, depends on the decision of the constitution council, and there was no issue with the power transfer. Raising such issue was done with a decision by the constitution council.
You Hockry said in the afternoon of 19 February that: “I don’t want to talk about anything outside the documents, beyond that, I didn’t know. I used to say, and I even wrote an open letter a few years ago, and later on, I even issued a clarification, therefore, I don’t know what to say to let the public understand it.”
You Hockry added that after the election, the constitutional council did not hold a meeting yet, and on its first meeting, Prince Ranariddh asked to transfer power to King-Father for governing the country. The constitutional council decided on 14 June 1993, to: (1) provide justice for King-Father by considering null and void the 18 March 1970 coup d’état which was conducted illegally against the constitution, against the public opinion, and it considered King-Father as the legal state leader from 1970 on; (2) give the full power and all the special power to King-Father in his duty as state leader so that he has the full ability to salvage the Nation, and lead the country to prosperity, just like under the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era.
Therefore further decisions were for King-Father to make. You Hockry indicated that after the agreement on the constitution, everybody took the decision to present the case to the Hero-king in Pyongyang, North Korea, and the trip included the participation of the CPP, Funcinpec, and the Son Sann party. You Hockry said that he did not know the final outcome, only that Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk decided to adopt the monarchy, that is he reigns but he does not rule.
You Hockry indicated also that, until now, whether to transfer power to King-Father or not, it is too late already. He said that the perpetual attack on the prince was done for political gain only, and he does not trust it too much because Nhiek Bun Chhay lied to him so many times already.
Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, is constantly attacking Prince Ranariddh, and he called the prince leadership as being weak, and it led to the demise of the party popularity. Recently, in Banteay meanchey province, during a meeting with Funcinpec party activists on 18 February, Nhiek Bun Chhay told his party activists that before the 1993 election, Prince Ranariddh made an election promise that should he win the election, he would turn over power to Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk, but after the election where he indeed won, the prince kept the power for himself instead (by becoming prime minister No. 1). At the same time, Nhiek Bun Chhay accused the prince of being involved in corruption in the nomination of party officials to government positions, and at the end, the prince purchased the party’s headquarters and assigned its ownership to his name.
Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, said the transfer of power to the Hero-King or not, depends on the decision of the constitution council, and there was no issue with the power transfer. Raising such issue was done with a decision by the constitution council.
You Hockry said in the afternoon of 19 February that: “I don’t want to talk about anything outside the documents, beyond that, I didn’t know. I used to say, and I even wrote an open letter a few years ago, and later on, I even issued a clarification, therefore, I don’t know what to say to let the public understand it.”
You Hockry added that after the election, the constitutional council did not hold a meeting yet, and on its first meeting, Prince Ranariddh asked to transfer power to King-Father for governing the country. The constitutional council decided on 14 June 1993, to: (1) provide justice for King-Father by considering null and void the 18 March 1970 coup d’état which was conducted illegally against the constitution, against the public opinion, and it considered King-Father as the legal state leader from 1970 on; (2) give the full power and all the special power to King-Father in his duty as state leader so that he has the full ability to salvage the Nation, and lead the country to prosperity, just like under the Sangkum Reastr Niyum era.
Therefore further decisions were for King-Father to make. You Hockry indicated that after the agreement on the constitution, everybody took the decision to present the case to the Hero-king in Pyongyang, North Korea, and the trip included the participation of the CPP, Funcinpec, and the Son Sann party. You Hockry said that he did not know the final outcome, only that Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk decided to adopt the monarchy, that is he reigns but he does not rule.
You Hockry indicated also that, until now, whether to transfer power to King-Father or not, it is too late already. He said that the perpetual attack on the prince was done for political gain only, and he does not trust it too much because Nhiek Bun Chhay lied to him so many times already.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Exiled Prince Seeks Entry, Pardon [-Hun Sen says he can't help]
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
12 February 2008
Phnom Penh
12 February 2008
Prince Norodom Ranariddh, who is running his own political party from exile in Malaysia, is trying to find a way back to Cambodia.
Prince Ranariddh faces an 18 month prison sentence on charges related to embezzlement if he returns to Cambodia, but he told VOA Khmer recently he will seek a pardon from his brother, King Norodom Sihamoni, who has been the monarch since 2004.
“I have no other choice,” Prince Ranariddh said. “I know that my case is a political case.”
The prince said he had appealed through the legal system and lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court, but if the courts uphold his 18-month sentence and $150,000 fine, he will ask the king for a constitutional pardon.
Prime Minister Hun Sen alluded to the prince on Monday, saying at a ceremony in Kampong Thom that “some people…made the party broken and discredited, and now want to come back to the country.”
“Hun Sen does not know about this and cannot help,” the prime minister said.
Prince Ranariddh faces an 18 month prison sentence on charges related to embezzlement if he returns to Cambodia, but he told VOA Khmer recently he will seek a pardon from his brother, King Norodom Sihamoni, who has been the monarch since 2004.
“I have no other choice,” Prince Ranariddh said. “I know that my case is a political case.”
The prince said he had appealed through the legal system and lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court, but if the courts uphold his 18-month sentence and $150,000 fine, he will ask the king for a constitutional pardon.
Prime Minister Hun Sen alluded to the prince on Monday, saying at a ceremony in Kampong Thom that “some people…made the party broken and discredited, and now want to come back to the country.”
“Hun Sen does not know about this and cannot help,” the prime minister said.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Hun Sen: F'pec promotes the cheating culture to sell positions in the gov't; Nhiek Bun Chhay agrees
Hun Sen: The culture of cheating led Funcinpec to its demise
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Prime minister Hun Sen declared that Funcinpec lost its popularity because of its culture of cheating to sell government positions. In a speech given at the groundbreaking for the Bokor road construction site on Saturday, Hun Sen said that the sale of positions led to the severe loss of the Funcinpec popularity, until it reached the current situation. Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, supports Hun Sen’s claim, and he said that removal of Prince Ranariddh from power in October 2006 (Funcinpec coup-de-party), was done to end the culture of corruption within Funcinpec. However, Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, rejected this claim saying that Prince Ranariddh did not sell positions inside the government at all. Muth Chantha accused the Funcinpec of removing Prince Ranariddh from his position, under Hun Sen’s order. Muth Chantha stressed that Prince Ranariddh never sold positions in the government.
Prince Ranariddh bets on his political future
Monday, January 21, 2008 By Leang Deluxe
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
The NRP leader is turning to the Supreme Court, the last legal institution able to annul the sentences handed down to him. The political future of the prince and his participation in the July general election will depend on the Supreme Court verdict.
Norodom Ranariddh waited for the very last moment to pursue a new legal avenue. It was on Thursday 17 January, i.e. 5 days prior to the final date, that the prince brought his case to the Supreme Court. He hopes that this jurisdiction will cancel his sentence to 18-month in jail, and $150,000 in fine handed down to him by the Phnom Penh municipal court in 2006. These sentences were also upheld by the Appeal Court in 2007 as well.
The judges found him guilty of breach of trust in the affair opposing him to Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general. Nhiek Bun Chhay accused the prince of selling his former party headquarters to his benefit.
In the legal procedure, the prince’s request to annul the sentences must be sent to the Appeal Court first, which then forward it to the Supreme Court. From there, the Supreme Court has up to six months to decide, starting from the date the complaint is handed over to the court. Nevertheless, the NRP hopes a court decision will be made before April, the date when the official candidacy for the general election must be turned over.
Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, sees in this affair, a desire to “prevent the prince from pursuing his political career.” Feeling that this accusation was aimed at the CPP, Cheam Yeap, a CPP MP, reacted by saying: “Our party never get involved in this case.” Nowadays, Norodom Ranariddh lives in exile in Malaysia, while waiting for a hypothetical return to the forefront of the Cambodian political scene.
Norodom Ranariddh waited for the very last moment to pursue a new legal avenue. It was on Thursday 17 January, i.e. 5 days prior to the final date, that the prince brought his case to the Supreme Court. He hopes that this jurisdiction will cancel his sentence to 18-month in jail, and $150,000 in fine handed down to him by the Phnom Penh municipal court in 2006. These sentences were also upheld by the Appeal Court in 2007 as well.
The judges found him guilty of breach of trust in the affair opposing him to Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general. Nhiek Bun Chhay accused the prince of selling his former party headquarters to his benefit.
In the legal procedure, the prince’s request to annul the sentences must be sent to the Appeal Court first, which then forward it to the Supreme Court. From there, the Supreme Court has up to six months to decide, starting from the date the complaint is handed over to the court. Nevertheless, the NRP hopes a court decision will be made before April, the date when the official candidacy for the general election must be turned over.
Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, sees in this affair, a desire to “prevent the prince from pursuing his political career.” Feeling that this accusation was aimed at the CPP, Cheam Yeap, a CPP MP, reacted by saying: “Our party never get involved in this case.” Nowadays, Norodom Ranariddh lives in exile in Malaysia, while waiting for a hypothetical return to the forefront of the Cambodian political scene.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Funcinpec will not attack back its critics
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec party president, said, recently, that a number of political parties and some people who departed from Funcinpec had attacked the Funcinpec party. During a meeting with Funcinpec party members in Kampot province on 08 January 2008, Keo Puth Rasmey said that: “In spite of attacks on Funcinpec, the Funcinpec party leaders will not counter-attack back because we are following the path of national reconciliation.” Even though, Keo Puth Rasmey did not reveal the name of these attackers, it is believed that he was designating Prince Norodom Ranariddh, because among those who left the party, Prince Ranariddh was one of them also. The prince usually verbally attacked Funcinpec and, in particular, vice-prime minister Nhiek Bun Chhay.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Ranariddh Calls for Resolving Border Issue with Neighbors, Unifying Democrats
12 Dec 07
By Veasna
Samleng Yuveakchon Khmer
Translated from Khmer and posted online
By Veasna
Samleng Yuveakchon Khmer
Translated from Khmer and posted online
Cambodia's border issue with neighboring countries, especially with Vietnam and Thailand, continues to be a major worry for Cambodians of all political tendencies. Concerning this vital problem of the country, the president of the Norodom Ranariddh Party [NRP] noted the inability of the current ruling party to resolve this border issue, saying that it is not able to settle the problem even with Thailand with which all the documents are already available.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh reminded all Cambodians about the country's problems, such as the border problem with their neighbors. He said, "Cambodia must reexamine this problem if it does not want to become another Champa."
The prince referred to the motherland of the ethnic Cham people in present-day central Vietnam that was erased from the world map following its annexation by Vietnam.
Because of the policy of Vietnamizing the Cham country, or Champa, the Cham who were the masters of their country have become a minority in their own motherland and have lost all opportunity to easily recover the freedom of their race.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh talked about the danger facing Cambodia due to the policy of annexation pursued by the neighboring countries during a telephone conversation from abroad with the NRP leadership and activists in Phnom Penh a day before the International Human Rights Day during which he discussed Thailand's exploitation of the Cambodian leaders' situation and position of weakness.
He said, "The settlement of the border problem with Thailand cannot be done by the Cambodian Government. I expect the Thais to set up their posts wherever Cambodia cannot reach. They have talked about the White Zone, something that never existed in the past. For example, they planted their new border markers in Otdar Meanchey province."
The prince talked about the problem concerning the planting of border markers with Vietnam, saying that it was done incorrectly.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh said, "The planting of border markers with Vietnam was not right."
He said that although Cambodia made the supplementary law on 10 October 2005 to legitimize the law signed by Hun Sen with Vietnam on 25 December 1985 regarding the Cambodia-Vietnam border, the implementation of the border marker installation was not correctly done.
To emphasize it, the prince noted that in 2006 when the first Cambodian-Vietnamese border markers were planted the ruling Cambodian People's Party [CPP] did not invite the representatives of the FUNCINPEC [National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, and Peaceful Cambodia] Party, which he then headed, to take part in any thorough inspection of the process of planting the markers. And because he kept publicly talking about this issue so that the Cambodian people would know about the incorrectness of the operation to plant the border markers between Cambodia and Vietnam, Hun Sen, prime minister and vice-president of the CPP, ordered Nhiek Bun Chhay to oust him from his post as the FUNCINPEC Party's executive president.
Consequently, Nhiek Bun Chhay, Lu Laysreng, and their cronies staged a party coup on 18 October 2006 to overthrow Prince Norodom Ranariddh despite the fact that two days earlier His Majesty the Heroic King, founder of the FUNCINPEC resistance movement, issued a message affirming that he had handed full ownership of the FUNCINPEC Party to his august son, Samdech Krom Preah [royal title] Norodom Ranariddh.
The president of the NRP also talked about the border problem, saying that His Majesty King Father Norodom Sihanouk prepared documents relating to the Cambodian territory of 181,035 square kilometers and deposited them in Vietnam [as received] during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum [Sihanouk's pre-1970 ruling party] regime.
The prince also talked about the immigration issue, meaning the huge number of Vietnamese nationals who continue to pour into Cambodia without anything or anyone stopping them.
The prince said that Cambodians cannot go in or out in a massive number as immigrants to neighboring Vietnam and Thailand like the Vietnamese nationals are pouring into Cambodia now.
The prince talked about Cambodians going to neighboring countries surreptitiously, working as beggars in the cities of these countries, and regularly being arrested and deported by the governments of Vietnam and Thailand back to Cambodia.
In addition to all of this, the prince pointed out the poverty of the Cambodian people under the leadership of the current government of Hun Sen's CPP.
The prince said that in Cambodia of the times of Sangkum Reastr Niyum headed by His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk in the 1970s Cambodians lived a decent life and were not so poor as to be reduced to beggaring in neighboring countries.
The leadership of the current government of Hun Sen's CPP, although the prime minister has boasted all along that he has been in power for more that 20 years now, has not been able to resolve the poverty problem affecting the Cambodian people.
On the contrary, since the natural resources of the country and the country's national assets have fallen into the hands of the big shots that rely on their power and the rich who rely on their riches, these big shots and rich people have become ever richer while more and more Cambodians have become poor and the poor have become even poorer.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh said that as a solution all democratic, royalist, and liberal parties should unite into a single party in response to the call of the people in order to win next year's election and jointly tackle all these problems of the nation.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh reminded all Cambodians about the country's problems, such as the border problem with their neighbors. He said, "Cambodia must reexamine this problem if it does not want to become another Champa."
The prince referred to the motherland of the ethnic Cham people in present-day central Vietnam that was erased from the world map following its annexation by Vietnam.
Because of the policy of Vietnamizing the Cham country, or Champa, the Cham who were the masters of their country have become a minority in their own motherland and have lost all opportunity to easily recover the freedom of their race.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh talked about the danger facing Cambodia due to the policy of annexation pursued by the neighboring countries during a telephone conversation from abroad with the NRP leadership and activists in Phnom Penh a day before the International Human Rights Day during which he discussed Thailand's exploitation of the Cambodian leaders' situation and position of weakness.
He said, "The settlement of the border problem with Thailand cannot be done by the Cambodian Government. I expect the Thais to set up their posts wherever Cambodia cannot reach. They have talked about the White Zone, something that never existed in the past. For example, they planted their new border markers in Otdar Meanchey province."
The prince talked about the problem concerning the planting of border markers with Vietnam, saying that it was done incorrectly.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh said, "The planting of border markers with Vietnam was not right."
He said that although Cambodia made the supplementary law on 10 October 2005 to legitimize the law signed by Hun Sen with Vietnam on 25 December 1985 regarding the Cambodia-Vietnam border, the implementation of the border marker installation was not correctly done.
To emphasize it, the prince noted that in 2006 when the first Cambodian-Vietnamese border markers were planted the ruling Cambodian People's Party [CPP] did not invite the representatives of the FUNCINPEC [National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, and Peaceful Cambodia] Party, which he then headed, to take part in any thorough inspection of the process of planting the markers. And because he kept publicly talking about this issue so that the Cambodian people would know about the incorrectness of the operation to plant the border markers between Cambodia and Vietnam, Hun Sen, prime minister and vice-president of the CPP, ordered Nhiek Bun Chhay to oust him from his post as the FUNCINPEC Party's executive president.
Consequently, Nhiek Bun Chhay, Lu Laysreng, and their cronies staged a party coup on 18 October 2006 to overthrow Prince Norodom Ranariddh despite the fact that two days earlier His Majesty the Heroic King, founder of the FUNCINPEC resistance movement, issued a message affirming that he had handed full ownership of the FUNCINPEC Party to his august son, Samdech Krom Preah [royal title] Norodom Ranariddh.
The president of the NRP also talked about the border problem, saying that His Majesty King Father Norodom Sihanouk prepared documents relating to the Cambodian territory of 181,035 square kilometers and deposited them in Vietnam [as received] during the Sangkum Reastr Niyum [Sihanouk's pre-1970 ruling party] regime.
The prince also talked about the immigration issue, meaning the huge number of Vietnamese nationals who continue to pour into Cambodia without anything or anyone stopping them.
The prince said that Cambodians cannot go in or out in a massive number as immigrants to neighboring Vietnam and Thailand like the Vietnamese nationals are pouring into Cambodia now.
The prince talked about Cambodians going to neighboring countries surreptitiously, working as beggars in the cities of these countries, and regularly being arrested and deported by the governments of Vietnam and Thailand back to Cambodia.
In addition to all of this, the prince pointed out the poverty of the Cambodian people under the leadership of the current government of Hun Sen's CPP.
The prince said that in Cambodia of the times of Sangkum Reastr Niyum headed by His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk in the 1970s Cambodians lived a decent life and were not so poor as to be reduced to beggaring in neighboring countries.
The leadership of the current government of Hun Sen's CPP, although the prime minister has boasted all along that he has been in power for more that 20 years now, has not been able to resolve the poverty problem affecting the Cambodian people.
On the contrary, since the natural resources of the country and the country's national assets have fallen into the hands of the big shots that rely on their power and the rich who rely on their riches, these big shots and rich people have become ever richer while more and more Cambodians have become poor and the poor have become even poorer.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh said that as a solution all democratic, royalist, and liberal parties should unite into a single party in response to the call of the people in order to win next year's election and jointly tackle all these problems of the nation.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
NRP appeals the Appeal Court ruling
Thursday, December 26, 2007
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
On 26 December 2007, a NRP party official indicated that his party has prepared all the documents to appeal the decision handed down by the Appeal Court which upheld the sentence issued by the Phnom Penh municipal court during an absentia ruling issued on Prince Ranariddh, NRP President and former Funcinpec party president, stemming from a breach of trust charge.
Prince Ranariddh was charged with breach of trust in the sale of the Funcinpec party headquarters, located near the Chrauy Changvar bridge, and he was sentenced to 18-month jail counting from the day he will be arrested, and the prince is also forced to pay $150,000 in damage compensation to Funcinpec, as well as surrendering the new party headquarters to the Funcinpec party.
Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, declared that his party has prepared all the documents to bring the case to the Supreme Court in the near future. He added: “This appeal is to oppose the decision handed down by the Appeal court which decided to uphold the sentence issued on the prince by the Phnom Penh municipal court.” He added that the (Supreme) court has to accept the (NRP) filing, however, it is not known when it will hold a hearing in this case.
When asked about means that allow the prince to return back to Cambodia in time for the election, Muth Chantha declared: “It all depends on the court, if it is fair and will issue a fair sentence for the prince, then he will be able to return back.” He added that there are several embassy officials who said that the absence of the leader of a party participating in the election shows that the election is not fair.
Nouv Sovathero, Funcinpec spokesman, declared: “We won at the municipal court and the Appeal Court already, we are waiting for the decision from the Supreme Court only. We are following this case, wherever they go, we go there also.” He added: “We borrowed money from others to buy the new party headquarters while waiting for a decision from the Supreme Court to see whether we will win or we will lose in this lawsuit.”
Nevertheless, recently, Prince Ranariddh called for a unification of the royalists and the democrats, by writing letters to Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha. Furthermore, both Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha traveled to France where the prince was staying with the goal of discussing the unification. However, both Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha rejected that they had met with Prince Ranariddh.
Muth Chantha added: “Prince Ranariddh did not meet Messrs. Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha, because when the pair arrived in France, Prince Ranariddh already left to return back to Malaysia already.” He added that Prince Ranariddh still maintains his stance for a unification, however, some people are not truthful, they come to unite only to divide the votes, so that the ruling party can uphold its power. He added also: “The return of Prince Ranariddh depends on the court.”
Prince Ranariddh was charged with breach of trust in the sale of the Funcinpec party headquarters, located near the Chrauy Changvar bridge, and he was sentenced to 18-month jail counting from the day he will be arrested, and the prince is also forced to pay $150,000 in damage compensation to Funcinpec, as well as surrendering the new party headquarters to the Funcinpec party.
Muth Chantha, NRP spokesman, declared that his party has prepared all the documents to bring the case to the Supreme Court in the near future. He added: “This appeal is to oppose the decision handed down by the Appeal court which decided to uphold the sentence issued on the prince by the Phnom Penh municipal court.” He added that the (Supreme) court has to accept the (NRP) filing, however, it is not known when it will hold a hearing in this case.
When asked about means that allow the prince to return back to Cambodia in time for the election, Muth Chantha declared: “It all depends on the court, if it is fair and will issue a fair sentence for the prince, then he will be able to return back.” He added that there are several embassy officials who said that the absence of the leader of a party participating in the election shows that the election is not fair.
Nouv Sovathero, Funcinpec spokesman, declared: “We won at the municipal court and the Appeal Court already, we are waiting for the decision from the Supreme Court only. We are following this case, wherever they go, we go there also.” He added: “We borrowed money from others to buy the new party headquarters while waiting for a decision from the Supreme Court to see whether we will win or we will lose in this lawsuit.”
Nevertheless, recently, Prince Ranariddh called for a unification of the royalists and the democrats, by writing letters to Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha. Furthermore, both Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha traveled to France where the prince was staying with the goal of discussing the unification. However, both Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha rejected that they had met with Prince Ranariddh.
Muth Chantha added: “Prince Ranariddh did not meet Messrs. Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha, because when the pair arrived in France, Prince Ranariddh already left to return back to Malaysia already.” He added that Prince Ranariddh still maintains his stance for a unification, however, some people are not truthful, they come to unite only to divide the votes, so that the ruling party can uphold its power. He added also: “The return of Prince Ranariddh depends on the court.”
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