21/04/2006
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen says the cabinet has moved to abolish the country's controversial criminal defamation law, which has been used to silence government critics.
Hun Sen says the cabinet has voted to amend the statute and the change will come before parliament later this year for approval.
Under the new legislation, defamation will be punishable only by a fine.
Defamation had previously been punishable by a prison term, and was used to jail several government critics in a widely-condemned crackdown on dissent.
Following months of angry criticism from rights groups and foreign diplomats, the premier said earlier this year that he supported scrapping criminal defamation legislation.
In January, Hun Sen dropped defamation complaints against seven activists and ordered those in jail to be bailed, although the courts have yet to dismiss the cases and the critics still risk going to trial.
Hun Sen also engineered a royal pardon for opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in December for defaming the premier and National Assembly president Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
Hun Sen says the cabinet has voted to amend the statute and the change will come before parliament later this year for approval.
Under the new legislation, defamation will be punishable only by a fine.
Defamation had previously been punishable by a prison term, and was used to jail several government critics in a widely-condemned crackdown on dissent.
Following months of angry criticism from rights groups and foreign diplomats, the premier said earlier this year that he supported scrapping criminal defamation legislation.
In January, Hun Sen dropped defamation complaints against seven activists and ordered those in jail to be bailed, although the courts have yet to dismiss the cases and the critics still risk going to trial.
Hun Sen also engineered a royal pardon for opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in December for defaming the premier and National Assembly president Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
1 comment:
Then replace it with a law that allowing mass protest or grievance against Prime MInister. Citizens say and do as human. Don't be coward ,Monsir Sen,be a decent and well brought up khmeng wat like the rest.
You can run but not hide.
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