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| Sam Chankea, Adhoc’s provincial coordinator in Kampong Chhnang province (centre), speaks to reporters outside the provincial court earlier this month. (Photo by: Photo Supplied) |
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| Suy Sem (L) and his wife Chea Kheng (R), the owner of KCD |
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Tuesday, 25 January 2011
“The court did not have evidence.”
Kampong Chhang provincial court ordered a human rights worker to pay nearly $1,000 in damages and fines Tuesday, after defamation charges were brought against him by a powerful company.
Sam Chankea, a Kampong Chhnang coordinator for the rights group Adhoc, will pay $750 in damages to the KCD Company, which reportedly belongs to the wife of the Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy.
He was charged with defamation, a criminal charge, in May 2010, after giving an interview to Radio Free Asia on a land dispute between KCD and 64 families who said they were being pushed off nearly 150 hectares of land in Kampong Tralach district.
Provincial judge San Sophat said the verdict was based on Article 305 of the Penal code and that Sam Chankea had openly denounced the company in an interview—tantamount to defamation.
Sam Chankea, who had said the company was abusing the law in a land dispute that had not been decided on, said he will appeal the decision. “The court did not have evidence,” he said.
Two villagers were also charged with defamation, but one has already been released and the other was fined $2,500.
KCD officials declined to comment Tuesday.
However, Chan Saveth, lead investigator for Adhoc, said the decision was “unacceptable and a concern for human rights activists.”
The decision follows a series of court actions against human rights activists from Adhoc and Lichado.
7 comments:
All courts are KANGAROO COURTS in Cambodia
on other news, the fine is not as high as $1000, actually its lower. I hope no one is trying to aggravate situations here.
But anyway, the court is not a court at all because they do not know how to use the law at all.
Shame on the judge, the whole world is laughing at him.
They should not be charged at all, that's why they are activists. It's a critic they believe in because of the court's blind judgement.
Only in cambodia you can hear an activist or human rights staff fined or jailed of defamation.
In US or other countries, they even curse their President, or make a Nasty Video of Hilary Clinton and Obama, dancing and strip teasing.
I SEE THE "POWER WITHOUT JUSTICE" AND THE "JUSTICE WITHOUT POWER" CLASHES I CAMBODIA. BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT JUSTICE ALWAYS PREVAILS.
i think using the law is fair because it is a case of defamation, etc... people should be held responsible for what inflamed speech to discredit or ruin someone good repution by cruel intention! hey, what part of rule of law don't they understand? yes, sue them all for defamation, so they will think twice next time before just running their foul mouths like diarrhea, you know!
to: 2:20 PM
what cruel intention are you talking about?
do you know what you are saying or, do you understand what you are saying?
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
AH HUN SEN AH KBORT JEAT KAGN JAEH YOUN
kon kmeng naek srae
Why dose Dr. Hun Sen not afraid of killing ten thousands khmer lifes during K5, 1997 events and so on? but he does scare of Thai and viet. Can KI explain that please?
Why dose bad thing always happen to good people? But good things happen to bad people as Dr. Hun Sen families keep richer and more power and more girls. Why does God has not fair at all? Why, God? Why? Or is this God way?
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