Sam Rainsy at RFA studio in the US (Photo: RFA). Courtesy of Ki-Media
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy reacted to the claims made by vice-prime minister Hor Nam Hong who threatened to sue him about spreading false information and about defamation.
Speaking from the US where he is currently visiting, Sam Rainsy indicated that he did not specifically point at Hor Nam Hong, who is also a minister of Foreign Affairs, as being the Beong Trabek jail chief. He also said that he is not afraid if there is a legal case about this accusation claim.
Sam Rainsy said that he will not apologize to Hor Nam Hong who threatened to sue him.Sam Rainsy, who is currently visiting the US, said that he did not specifically name Hor Nam Hong as being the Boeng Trabek jail chief: “Whatever I spoke was the truth, and I did not name anybody. I only said that the person had the rank of minister of Foreign Affairs after the KR regime. After the KR regime, there are many Foreign Affairs ministers: the one immediately after Ieng Sary, following Pol Pot’s departure, was Mr. Hun Sen, then there was Mr. Kong Korm, Prince Norodom Sirivudh, and then Mr. Hor Nam Hong.S
am Rainsy’s reaction took place after Hor Nam Hong, who is also one of the Cambodian minister of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that he is very hurt by Sam Rainsy saying that he was involved with the KR group.
Hor Nam Hong said: “Saying that I was a KR is a serious insult and disdain, let alone saying that I was the Boeng Trabek jail chief. Only calling me a KR is considered a very serious insult. If Sam Rainsy recognized that he misspoke and said untruthful thing about me, then I will not sue him, because I want the atmosphere before the election to be calm.”
In the past Hor Nam Hong won a lawsuit against Hero-King Norodom Sihanouk once already at the French tribunal, after he was accused (by the Hero-King) of being the Boeng Trabek jail chief.Sam Rainsy said that the current situation is different from what it used to be in the past, if indeed there is a lawsuit against each other: “Before, it was difficult to find witnesses, because at that time, the UN did not arrive (in Cambodia) yet, and there was no UNTAC election organization yet either. No witnesses dare to come out (at that time). But now, the situation is such that, after the 1993 election, there are human rights organizations, there is the documentation center, now we have information, we have more witnesses than before. Earlier, King Norodom Sihanouk had a hard time finding (witnesses), then, nobody dares to come out, and there were not many documents, there was no documentation center as we have now. Therefore, the (current) situation is different from what it used to be.”
Sam Rainsy added that there is no need to look for any further tribunal, if (Hor Nam Hong) wants to sue about the KR issue, the Extraordinary Chamber in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC or KR Tribunal) is a tribunal that can be trusted to find out who the Boeng Trabek jail chief really was.
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