25-09-2007
By Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Prince Sisowath Thomico’s proposal to eliminate the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (KRT) was disavowed by Keo Puth Rasmey, the Funcinpec party leader. This led the prince to ask for his resignation.
Yesterday, Prince Sisowath Thomico asked Funcinpec party leaders to resign from his position as Senior Advisor of the party, “in order to talk about various issues linked to the honor, pride and future of Cambodia,” he said. The request was sent in a letter dated 24 September, and addressed to Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec president. The latter still remains reserved about his reply.
Prince Thomico does not want to quit the Funcinpec, but he would like to become a simple party member so that he can talk freely. This resignation request follows the failure of his request to Funcinpec on 18 September, to recommend to the Council of Ministers to take legal measures aiming at shutting down the ECCC. Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec president, replied back to him on that same day: “King-Father simply said that he did not have confidence on the KRT. But, he never asked for it to stop. Therefore, one should not be more royalist than the king regarding this very sensitive issue,” Keo Puth Rasmey annotated on the margin of Prince Thomico’s letter.
Prince Sisowath Thomico, citing former monarch Norodom Sihanouk who affirmed that the KRT could not provide justice to the compatriots who were victim of the genocidal regime, also proposed, last week, to prime minister Hun Sen to seek to shut down the KRT. Hun Sen replied through his spokesman that this request was not of his competency.
Yesterday, Prince Sisowath Thomico asked Funcinpec party leaders to resign from his position as Senior Advisor of the party, “in order to talk about various issues linked to the honor, pride and future of Cambodia,” he said. The request was sent in a letter dated 24 September, and addressed to Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec president. The latter still remains reserved about his reply.
Prince Thomico does not want to quit the Funcinpec, but he would like to become a simple party member so that he can talk freely. This resignation request follows the failure of his request to Funcinpec on 18 September, to recommend to the Council of Ministers to take legal measures aiming at shutting down the ECCC. Keo Puth Rasmey, Funcinpec president, replied back to him on that same day: “King-Father simply said that he did not have confidence on the KRT. But, he never asked for it to stop. Therefore, one should not be more royalist than the king regarding this very sensitive issue,” Keo Puth Rasmey annotated on the margin of Prince Thomico’s letter.
Prince Sisowath Thomico, citing former monarch Norodom Sihanouk who affirmed that the KRT could not provide justice to the compatriots who were victim of the genocidal regime, also proposed, last week, to prime minister Hun Sen to seek to shut down the KRT. Hun Sen replied through his spokesman that this request was not of his competency.
