Mr. Rainsy speaking through a video link during a video conference on 23rd September.By Khmerization
Source: RFA
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has on 24th September said that he has lodged a criminal lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen in a U.S court in New York for masterminding the 1997 grenade attacks which killed 19 people and wounded around 190 others, including himself and a U.S citizen, Ron Abney.
Speaking at a video conference from his exile in Paris, Mr. Rainsy said that he had also lodged another criminal lawsuit against Mr. Hun Sen in a Spanish court on 23rd September, but it is not sure whether that lawsuit was related to the same 1997 grenade attacks or over a different matter.
Mr. Rainsy's criminal lawsuit against Mr. Hun Sen came a day after he was sentenced by the Cambodian court to 10 years imprisonment on charges of faking public document and spreading disinformation, a charge that was condemned by human rights groups as politically motivated. Mr. Rainsy's lawsuit also coincides with the visit of Prime Minister Hun Sen to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.
On 30th March 1997, four grenades were thrown into a crowd of demonstrators, killing 19 people and wounding 190 people, including Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Ron Abney, who is an American citizen. The U.S FBI launched an investigation and its preliminary reports pointed the finger to Mr. Hun Sen's bodyguard units as having orchestrating the attacks.
Mr. Rainsy said he does not want any compensation, but just want the perpetrators and their masterminds to be punished. "It did not seem that they only wanted to kill Sam Rainsy alone. The way they did it has killed too many people. That act constitutes a crime against humanity. Even though they (the perpetrators) are the heads of state, kings, whomever they are, presidents or prime ministers, if they have committed such a crime, they can be arrested. So, I believe that the U.S court, even as I am speaking to you now, is waiting for Mr. Hun Sen in New York", he said.
Thirteen years after the attacks, no one has been arrested and found guilty of the crimes despite numerous witnesses have identified the attackers and the findings of the FBI investigations. Mr. Kieth Chantharith, spokesman for the National Police, however, said that the case has not been closed yet. "We only close the case when the issue is finished. If it is not finished, we will not close the case, like for example, some people have escaped. The matter is closed only when all suspects have been apprehended and detained. That means the matter is finished", he said.
In 2004, Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Ron Abney had lodged the same criminal lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen in the same U.S court in New York, but agreed to withdraw the lawsuit under a political deal that would allow Mr. Sam Rainsy to return to Cambodia from exile without punishment after the Cambodian court convicted him of defaming Prince Ranariddh and Mr. Hun Sen over bribery allegations.
Source: RFA
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has on 24th September said that he has lodged a criminal lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen in a U.S court in New York for masterminding the 1997 grenade attacks which killed 19 people and wounded around 190 others, including himself and a U.S citizen, Ron Abney.
Speaking at a video conference from his exile in Paris, Mr. Rainsy said that he had also lodged another criminal lawsuit against Mr. Hun Sen in a Spanish court on 23rd September, but it is not sure whether that lawsuit was related to the same 1997 grenade attacks or over a different matter.
Mr. Rainsy's criminal lawsuit against Mr. Hun Sen came a day after he was sentenced by the Cambodian court to 10 years imprisonment on charges of faking public document and spreading disinformation, a charge that was condemned by human rights groups as politically motivated. Mr. Rainsy's lawsuit also coincides with the visit of Prime Minister Hun Sen to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.
On 30th March 1997, four grenades were thrown into a crowd of demonstrators, killing 19 people and wounding 190 people, including Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Ron Abney, who is an American citizen. The U.S FBI launched an investigation and its preliminary reports pointed the finger to Mr. Hun Sen's bodyguard units as having orchestrating the attacks.
Mr. Rainsy said he does not want any compensation, but just want the perpetrators and their masterminds to be punished. "It did not seem that they only wanted to kill Sam Rainsy alone. The way they did it has killed too many people. That act constitutes a crime against humanity. Even though they (the perpetrators) are the heads of state, kings, whomever they are, presidents or prime ministers, if they have committed such a crime, they can be arrested. So, I believe that the U.S court, even as I am speaking to you now, is waiting for Mr. Hun Sen in New York", he said.
Thirteen years after the attacks, no one has been arrested and found guilty of the crimes despite numerous witnesses have identified the attackers and the findings of the FBI investigations. Mr. Kieth Chantharith, spokesman for the National Police, however, said that the case has not been closed yet. "We only close the case when the issue is finished. If it is not finished, we will not close the case, like for example, some people have escaped. The matter is closed only when all suspects have been apprehended and detained. That means the matter is finished", he said.
In 2004, Mr. Sam Rainsy and Mr. Ron Abney had lodged the same criminal lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen in the same U.S court in New York, but agreed to withdraw the lawsuit under a political deal that would allow Mr. Sam Rainsy to return to Cambodia from exile without punishment after the Cambodian court convicted him of defaming Prince Ranariddh and Mr. Hun Sen over bribery allegations.
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