Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court held a hearing yesterday in a defamation case against opposition leader Sam Rainsy filed by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong despite the absence of both the accused and his lawyer.
The charges were brought under the UNTAC criminal code and stem from comments that Sam Rainsy, president of the eponymous political party, made on April 17, 2008.
According to the 2008 complaint, Sam Rainsy alleged that Hor Namhong headed the Boeung Trabek prison under the Khmer Rouge. Hor Namhong won a similar suit in France in 2008 that levied a symbolic fine on Sam Rainsy for comments in his autobiography.
At yesterday’s hearing, judge Seng Neang asked Ek Chheng Huot, the deputy prosecutor, and Kar Savuth, Hor Namhong’s attorney, whether the court should go ahead without Sam Rainsy and his counsel. Both advised the judge to proceed.
Long Visalo, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, appeared to testify on behalf of Hor Namhong, and a court clerk also read testimony from former S-21 prison chief Kaing Guek Eav on behalf of the foreign minister.
Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, last year became the first defendant convicted by the Khmer Rouge tribunal and has been represented there by Kar Savuth.
If convicted, Sam Rainsy faces fines and up to four years in prison under Articles 62 and 63 of the UNTAC code.
Kar Savuth argued that witness testimony and the French court ruling proved Hor Namhong was merely the head of a small group of inmates at the prison – not the prison chief.
“I would like the court to convict Sam Rainsy seriously, and demand 10 million riel (US$2,505) for compensation,” Kar Savuth said yesterday, though he told reporters outside the court that the most important thing for his client was that Sam Rainsy be punished.
The embattled opposition leader, who is currently based in France, has already stacked up 12 years in prison related to a political stunt opposing alleged Vietnamese encroachment along the border in 2009.
He was stripped of his parliamentary seat last month as a result of the convictions.
Choung Choungy, Sam Rainsy’s attorney, declined to comment at length yesterday, saying his client was “not interested” in the case.
7 comments:
Sie Hor 5 Hong are cambodian or vietcog? Look like you protect Vietcog benefit far more than you protect Cambodia.
Whe you die are you going to be born as Uncle Ho children again and again ?
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Hanoi communist Nambodia!
Hun Sen is a Vietnam dog,his high and
low officials are Vietnam dogs.They all are dogs.
Cambodia will be like Lao;Vietnam will control fully as same as Lao.
idiot sam rainsy called cambodia all kind of names! how irresponsible and contempt of cambodia! for your information, cambodia is called cambodia in english and khmer in khmer language, ok! wake up, people. now, can you all say "cambodia"!
to 3:45 am no it is now Nambodia and because of you and your CPP that is Cambodia clearly become Nambodia. It's because of you
Cambodian living inside Cambodia MUST stand up for them self. Sam Rainsy alone can't do so much. What are Cambodian people inside waiting for. Do something, uprising now, this is the best time for all of them to rise up. Don't you see Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and other countries. We Cambodian outside support you only if you all Khmer living inside to stand up against those corrupted government.
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