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19th June 2008
By Kim Pov Sotton
Radio Free Asia
Translated by Khmerization
The United States and human right groups have said on 18th June that the attempt to strip off Sam Rainsy's parliamentary immunity is a serious threat to the upcoming election.
Mr. Jeff Daigle, public relations officer of the American Embassy, said that Mr. Sam Rainsy cannot avoid arrest if his parliamentary immunity is stripped and that his arrest will create a bad environment for the upcoming election.
Mr. Jeff Daigle said: "We applaud the release of Mr. Dam Sith, the editor of the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper. We believe that his continued detention will damage Cambodia's image on international stage. But we also regret the defamation suit brought against Mr. Sam Rainsy before the election and this law suit will create a bad atmosphere at the start of a democratic election process."
This reaction was made immediately following a court request to the National Assembly to suspend Mr. Sam Rainsy parliamentary immunity in relation to a defamation law suit lodged by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong after Sam Rainsy accused him of being a chief of Boeng Trabek Prison during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Human right groups in Cambodia are concerned that Mr. Sam rainsy will be arrested after his parliamentary immunity is lifted.
Mrs. Pung Chiv Kek, President of the human right group LICADHO said: "We are concerned that the arrest of an opposition leader before the election will send a negative message to the voters that they will be afraid to speak out and to come out to conduct election campaign."
Up until today, the National Assembly has not acted on the court's request yet.
Sources from the opposition said that Mr. Sam Rainsy will not escape from this situation.
The American official asked all Khmer politicians not to take defamation law suit as an important matter. As they are public figures, it is inevitable that they will face such criticism.//
19th June 2008
By Kim Pov Sotton
Radio Free Asia
Translated by Khmerization
The United States and human right groups have said on 18th June that the attempt to strip off Sam Rainsy's parliamentary immunity is a serious threat to the upcoming election.
Mr. Jeff Daigle, public relations officer of the American Embassy, said that Mr. Sam Rainsy cannot avoid arrest if his parliamentary immunity is stripped and that his arrest will create a bad environment for the upcoming election.
Mr. Jeff Daigle said: "We applaud the release of Mr. Dam Sith, the editor of the Moneaksekar Khmer newspaper. We believe that his continued detention will damage Cambodia's image on international stage. But we also regret the defamation suit brought against Mr. Sam Rainsy before the election and this law suit will create a bad atmosphere at the start of a democratic election process."
This reaction was made immediately following a court request to the National Assembly to suspend Mr. Sam Rainsy parliamentary immunity in relation to a defamation law suit lodged by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong after Sam Rainsy accused him of being a chief of Boeng Trabek Prison during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Human right groups in Cambodia are concerned that Mr. Sam rainsy will be arrested after his parliamentary immunity is lifted.
Mrs. Pung Chiv Kek, President of the human right group LICADHO said: "We are concerned that the arrest of an opposition leader before the election will send a negative message to the voters that they will be afraid to speak out and to come out to conduct election campaign."
Up until today, the National Assembly has not acted on the court's request yet.
Sources from the opposition said that Mr. Sam Rainsy will not escape from this situation.
The American official asked all Khmer politicians not to take defamation law suit as an important matter. As they are public figures, it is inevitable that they will face such criticism.//
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