Sam Rainsy to be ordered arrested if he refuses to show up in court

(Photo: Ly Meng Huor, RFI)

06 April 2010
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy could face arrest if he refuses to show up in court as summoned by the investigating judge. A source indicated that the exiled opposition leader will be summoned by the Phnom Penh municipal court to clarify in the lawsuit case brought up by the government which accused him of disinformation and falsification of public argument. The same source indicated that if Sam Rainsy refused to show up in court, the latter will issue an order to arrest and bring him in to court because this is the second summon issued by the Phnom Penh municipal court following the lawsuit brought up by the government lawyer. The summon order was issued by Oeung Sieng, the investigation judge, dated 26 March 2010, based on the 25 February 2010 lawsuit brought up by Ky Tech, the government representative, accusing 60-year-old Sam Rainsy of falsifying public documents, using false letter and publication of false information in Phnom Penh in February 2010 as stipulated in Articles 48 and 62 of the UNTAC era criminal law. The end of the summon stated that: “in the event the person summoned refused to come to court as stipulated above, we will issue an order to arrest and bring him in to court.”

Phnom Penh municipal court summons Sam Rainsy

Click on the summon letter in Khmer to zoom in

3 March 2010
By Ly Meng Huor
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Today, the SRP received a summon letter signed by Sok Roeun, the deputy prosecutor of the Phnom Penh municipal court. The letter summons Sam Rainsy to show up in court on 09 March.

The summon for the opposition leader is aimed at questioning him about the 26 Feb lawsuit raised by the government, accusing him of publication of false information and of falsification of public document through the Internet. Mr. Sam Rainsy, who is currently in France, published maps that showed that border posts between Cambodia and Vietnam led to the loss of Cambodian territories.

Sam Rainsy Summoned by Svay Rieng Court

Sam Rainsy (R) standing next to Mu Sochua (L)

By Chun Sakada and Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh and Washington
18 December 2009

“They can do whatever they want. I don’t care, because the court works for the powerful and the ruling party, and not for the national interest” - Sam Rainsy

Svay Rieng provincial court has issued a summons to opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is facing charges for allegedly leading a group of villagers to pull up demarcation posts near the Vietnam border in October.

Sam Rainsy has been asked to appear on Dec. 28, according to a summons issued Wednesday and obtained by VOA Khmer.

Sam Rainsy, who has rejected the case as politically motivated, had his parliamentary immunity suspended by the National Assembly in November, paving the way for investigations into the allegations by provincial court officials.

“I issued a summons yesterday,” investigating judge Long Kesphirom told VOA Khmer Thursday. He declined to give more details.

Reached by phone in France, Sam Rainsy told VOA Khmer he had not been given a chance to defend himself, and that he was meeting with villagers as their parliamentary representative when they complained of Vietnamese incursion onto their land.

“But it was not so, and now the authorities have issued a complaint against me instead,” he said. “They can do whatever they want. I don’t care, because the court works for the powerful and the ruling party, and not for the national interest.”

The court case and suspension of his immunity have been criticized as a wider government effort to crack down on dissent, following the jailing of an opposition-aligned journalist earlier this year and a defamation suit brought against Mu Sochua, an SRP representative for Kampot province, by Prime Minister Hun Sen, in April.

Sam Rainsy will not show up to the Svay Rieng kangaroo court for clarification

17 Dec 2009
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is currently in France, told RFA over the phone on Friday morning that he will not show up in court to provide clarification as summoned by the Svay Rieng provincial court.

Sam Rainsy was charged by the Svay Rieng provincial court of destroying public properties and racial discrimination after he pulled out border stakes in Svay Rieng. Local villagers accused Vietnam of moving the border into Cambodian territories.

Summon of a witness to attend the trial of Monk Tim Sakhorn on 08 November 2007

Unofficial translation from the Vietnamese text above

Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Independence – Freedom - Happiness

People’s Court of Justice
Province of An Giang

DOCUMENT SENT TO THE ACTIVIST BY THE ACCUSER
(First Summon)
PEOPLE’S COURT OF JUSTICE, PROVINCE OF AN GIANG

To Activist: Chau Inn
Date of Birth: 1948
Residence: Ap Ba Xoai, Commune An Cu, District Tinh Bien, Province An Giang

To act as an eyewitness in the person of Mr. Tim Sakhorn for (the charge of) “breaking up the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia, at 7:30 AM on 08 November 2007.

(The activist is) summoned to be present at the courtroom of the People’s Court of Justice in the Province of An Giang located at No. 4 To Duc Thang Street, City of Long Xuyen.

When coming to the courtroom, the plaintiff must bring along his activist letter and all important documents pertinent to the trial.

The plaintiff must be present in person at the above address

Done in Long Xuyen, 22 October 2007

Lam Phuoc Nghia

Tribunal Set to Summon Nuon Chea, Son Confirms

Nuon Chea, Pol Pot's chief lieutenant, could be summoned to the tribunal courts as early as Friday, two reliable experts confirmed Tuesday.

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
18 September 2007

"Nuon Say said Tuesday he would never allow his father to be arrested by the courts, echoing sentiments of those still loyal to the Khmer Rouge commander."

The Khmer Rouge tribunal is prepared to summon Nuon Chea, the highest-ranking leader of the failed regime still alive, for questioning at the special courts, two sources close to the tribunal and a family member said Tuesday.

"Yes, they have informed me" of a summons, Nuon Say, son of Nuon Chea, said from the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin Tuesday. "I tried to find the summons, but [Nuon Chea] has not seen it yet."

If summoned, Nuon Chea, 82, would be the highest-ranking cadre of the Khmer Rouge to face a tribunal. He could be summoned as a witness or a suspect.

Two tribunal observers with intimate knowledge of the courts said a summons for Nuon Chea to appear could come as early as Friday.

Pol Pot's top lieutenant, Nuon Chea was known as Brother No. 2. He has said in the past he does not fear a day in court and looks forward to participating in a trial.

The tribunal courts so far have one suspect in custody, the Tuol Sleng torture center chief aliased Duch. Investigators have four names handed to them by prosecutors they could indict, but these names have been kept out of the public eye.

Nuon Chea has said he believes himself to be one of the four.

Nuon Say said Tuesday he would never allow his father to be arrested by the courts, echoing sentiments of those still loyal to the Khmer Rouge commander.

The courts may "invite" Nuon Chea to answer questions, Nuon Say said.

"My father said he will go to the court if the court needs him," Nuon Say said.

NRP officials summoned by the court

Saturday, July 14, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Phnom Penh municipal court issued a summon for You Hockry, the former 2nd vice-president of the National Assembly and current NRP secretary-general, and Chhim Siek Leng, the former minister of rural development and current NRP vice-president, to show up in court in the afternoon of 17 July, to act as witnesses in the lawsuit lodged by Prince Norodom Ranariddh against Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, for breach of trust and letter falsification. A source at the court indicated that the court summoned the two NRP officials to come to the court to clarify this case as major witnesses in Prince Ranariddh’s lawsuit. The same source indicated that Prince Ranariddh’s lawyer received the summons and already handed them over to the two NRP witnesses. The two NRP officials will show up in court at the prescribed time.