03 November 2007
By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
An official from the royal palace declared that there could be an attempt made by a group of republicans to oppose and topple the monarchy system in Cambodia.
Oum Daravuth, an official from the royal palace office (and a nephew of Queen-Mother), discussed about the attempt made for this toppling, following the authority’s confiscation of the Free Press Magazine (FPM) which included articles and drawings very critical to the former monarch, King Norodom Sihanouk.
Oum Daravuth praised the measures taken to counter the scorning made against the former monarch. Oum Daravuth declared: “Based on what I understand, H.E. Khieu Kanharith did the right thing because no magazines or newspapers can violate Article 7, Chapter 2 of the constitution which stipulates that the king shall be inviolable. The Ministry of Information has the duty of confiscating or closing down this newspaper, this does not mean that we don’t respect the press freedom rights, this is stipulated in the Constitution, and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Based on what I observed, a lot of republicans came, for example, to set up the Republican party in a kingdom, and no kingdom would ever allow a republican party to exist, this means that in Cambodia, we respect a lot the freedom rights of each party …”.
Oum Daravuth added: “… I am very puzzled and want to know why the Republican party is set up, and why a republican newspaper is formed to attack our king or our Hero-King? As H.E. Khieu Kanharith rightly said so, these (republican) group, they are only waiting to attack the monarchy only, and in particular, to attack the monarchy institution itself., because first of all, these (republican) people are very hurt that the Lon Nol republic regime lasted only 5-year, therefore, the remnant (of this regime) want to avenge their fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles, who couldn’t govern Cambodia during the Lon Nol regime for a long period of time.”
The FPM which was prevented by the authority from being distributed is a newly published magazine which issued its first edition in November 2007.
Oum Daravuth, an official from the royal palace office (and a nephew of Queen-Mother), discussed about the attempt made for this toppling, following the authority’s confiscation of the Free Press Magazine (FPM) which included articles and drawings very critical to the former monarch, King Norodom Sihanouk.
Oum Daravuth praised the measures taken to counter the scorning made against the former monarch. Oum Daravuth declared: “Based on what I understand, H.E. Khieu Kanharith did the right thing because no magazines or newspapers can violate Article 7, Chapter 2 of the constitution which stipulates that the king shall be inviolable. The Ministry of Information has the duty of confiscating or closing down this newspaper, this does not mean that we don’t respect the press freedom rights, this is stipulated in the Constitution, and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Based on what I observed, a lot of republicans came, for example, to set up the Republican party in a kingdom, and no kingdom would ever allow a republican party to exist, this means that in Cambodia, we respect a lot the freedom rights of each party …”.
Oum Daravuth added: “… I am very puzzled and want to know why the Republican party is set up, and why a republican newspaper is formed to attack our king or our Hero-King? As H.E. Khieu Kanharith rightly said so, these (republican) group, they are only waiting to attack the monarchy only, and in particular, to attack the monarchy institution itself., because first of all, these (republican) people are very hurt that the Lon Nol republic regime lasted only 5-year, therefore, the remnant (of this regime) want to avenge their fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles, who couldn’t govern Cambodia during the Lon Nol regime for a long period of time.”
The FPM which was prevented by the authority from being distributed is a newly published magazine which issued its first edition in November 2007.
