2-year jail sentence for Moeung Son and 15 million riels fine and damage compensation ($3,750) … just for protesting light installation in Angkor Wat

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
DAP-news
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

At 6:45PM on 14 July 2009, the judge of the Phnom Penh municipal announced the verdict for Moeung Son, Chairman of the Khmer Civilization Foundation (KCF), he is sentenced to 2-year in jail and fined 7 million riels ($1,750) and he must also pay 8 million riels ($2,000) to the Apsara authority. The court also ordered the authority to arrest him immediately after the announcement of his sentence for publishing false information and incitation perpetrated on 26 May 2009.

During the court hearing, Sar Sok Kong, Moeung Son’s defense lawyer, was present but Choung Chou-ngy was not, and Pal Chandara, the government lawyer and also lawyer for the Apsara authority, was present. Judge Chhay Kong and Ek Chheng Huot, the representative of the prosecutor, were present during the hearing, as well as lawyers, the public and numerous reporters.

During the hearing, Moeung Son’s lawyer requested for a delay, claiming that his client could not yet find proofs or witnesses on time. However, the prosecutor claimed that the court can take care of this case and it would still be legal. That was why the hearing started since 2:30PM and the verdict was not announced until 6:45PM.

On 26 May 2009, the government and the Apsara authority sued Moeung Son of spreading false information and incitation on the case of the Su Ching company drilling rocks on the temple to install night lights in Angkor Wat temple. After hearing this information, the Apsara authority clarified to the government and the public that the installation of these lights does not affect the temple, but Moeung Son kept on publishing his incitation information still. For example, Moeung Son claimed that lights with more than 1,000-watt heat capacity can turn metal to black color, as if it was burnt. However, expert claims that these spot lights are only 4-watt, and they do not affect the temple stone. Furthermore, reporters can see that holes in the temple rocks were not newly dug, they were remnant from the past. In summary, both the government and the Apsara authority maintained the claim that Moeung Son spread false information and he created incitation to create upheaval all over the country and in the world. Therefore, his action cannot be forgiven. Following the sentence, Moeung Son’s lawyer yelled that the court is unfair.

Cambodian government takes legal action against a pro-government newspaper

Source: Deum Ampil newspaper
Reported in English by Khmerization

The Cambodian government has on 9th June taken legal action against the biggest and pro-government newspaper in Cambodia, reports Deum Ampil.

According to Deum Ampil, Mr. Duong Loeung, a lawyer representing the government has lodged a lawsuit with the Phnom Penh Court against the Reaksmei Kampuchea Daily, Cambodia's biggest newspaper and ardent supporter of the ruling Cambodian People Party (CPP).

The reasons for the lawsuit against Reaksmei Kampuchea are not known as details of the suit have been kept secret with court officials refusing to give out the details and Mr. Duong Loeung cannot be contacted for comments. However, recently, the government has lodged a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Moeung Son, president of the Khmer Civilisation Foundation, in relation to his accusations that the government allowed the walls of Angkor Wat to be damaged when it ordered the installations of lights on the temple walls.

Mr. Sok Kalyan, the court deputy prosecutor, refused to say what the government was suing the newspaper about, but only said that the suit is a very complex case. He said: "I have not proceeded with this case yet. This suit is very complex and so I wish not to make any comments yet."

Mr. Pen Samithy, editor-in chief of Reaksmei Kampuchea, told Deum Ampil that he was not aware of the government's suit against his newspaper. He said: "I don't know anything...what do they sue us for?"

Sources close to the government said that the government did not sue the newspaper or the editor-in chief, but it is suing one of the newspaper's writers/reporters.

The same sources also said that another major broadsheet daily newspaper had also been sued by the government, but this news has not been made public by the government yet.

In recent weeks, the Cambodian government has taken a series of legal actions against many opposition politicians, executives of some NGOs as well as opposition newspapers, including the outspoken Khmer Mchas Srok daily.