Phnom Penh - A Cambodian court on Wednesday heard evidence in a border-dispute case that could see the leader of the largest opposition party jailed for 18 years.
The Phnom Penh municipal court said it would rule on the case on September 23.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (pictured) was charged with disinformation and falsifying public documents after producing maps during a video-conference earlier this year. He claimed the maps proved that Vietnam was encroaching on Cambodian territory.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, described the charges as political, and said he was 'very pessimistic' about the outcome.
'Whenever there is a dispute between the government and the opposition, the opposition has no chance to win at all,' he said.
'It is Sam Rainsy's duty as a member of parliament to help the people and protect Cambodia's land,' he added.
Sam Rainsy is in France avoiding a two-year prison sentence from an earlier, related case. He was convicted of racial incitement and damaging public property.
The government prosecuted him for uprooting wooden posts in Svay Rieng province that marked the international border with Vietnam.
Two villagers from Svay Rieng province were also sentenced to jail terms in that case, which goes to appeal on October 5.
The opposition party claims the rights of Cambodian farmers are not being respected in the process to demarcate the 1,270-kilometre border, which is expected to be completed by 2012.
The border incident riled Hanoi, which is a close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government. Vietnam has significant interests in agribusiness, aviation, telecommunications and banking in Cambodia.
The Phnom Penh municipal court said it would rule on the case on September 23.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (pictured) was charged with disinformation and falsifying public documents after producing maps during a video-conference earlier this year. He claimed the maps proved that Vietnam was encroaching on Cambodian territory.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Sam Rainsy Party, described the charges as political, and said he was 'very pessimistic' about the outcome.
'Whenever there is a dispute between the government and the opposition, the opposition has no chance to win at all,' he said.
'It is Sam Rainsy's duty as a member of parliament to help the people and protect Cambodia's land,' he added.
Sam Rainsy is in France avoiding a two-year prison sentence from an earlier, related case. He was convicted of racial incitement and damaging public property.
The government prosecuted him for uprooting wooden posts in Svay Rieng province that marked the international border with Vietnam.
Two villagers from Svay Rieng province were also sentenced to jail terms in that case, which goes to appeal on October 5.
The opposition party claims the rights of Cambodian farmers are not being respected in the process to demarcate the 1,270-kilometre border, which is expected to be completed by 2012.
The border incident riled Hanoi, which is a close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government. Vietnam has significant interests in agribusiness, aviation, telecommunications and banking in Cambodia.
2 comments:
Any question brought forth by the opposition party for the sake of Cambodia's interest is always being viewed at as a form of defamation of the Hun Sen's government. Hun Sen created this law to protect himself and Hanoi. With this defamation law bullshit. Hun Sen has the free-will to do what he pleases. At the same time, Hanoi also has the free- will to do what it pleases with Cambodia. If Hanoi wants to encroach into Cambodia by slowly nibbling away the territory, Hun Sen will make sure of no intervention from the opposition party. If anyone dared, that anyone will be slapped with defamation charges. Since Hun Sen owns
Cambodia's judiciary system, there is no way in hell the
opposition party would have a good chance in the case. Hanoi is already celebrating the victory.
The real khmer people know that ah ky ky is the one that disinformation/falsifying public documents. He must face charges in prison for the rest of his life.
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