Hun Sen (L) versus Sam Rainsy.By Khmerization
Source: RFA
A prominent American human rights lawyer who is repsenting opposition leader Sam Rainsy in a criminal case against Prime Minister Hun sen in the New York Court, said he is continuing his campaign to find justice for the victims of the 1997 grenade attack in front of the Cambodian parliament.
On 30th March, a number of unidentified persons thrown four grenades into a crowd of peaceful protesters, killing 19 people and wounded 190 others, including opposition leader Sam Rainsy and an American democracy campaigner, Ron Abney. The American FBI launched an investigation and, in its initial report, had suggested that Prime Minister Hun Sen's bodyguards posted nearby were involved or were behind the attack.
On 24th September, Mr. Morton Sklar, on behalf of Mr. Sam Rainsy, Ron Abney and other victims, had lodged a criminal legal complaint against Prime Minister Hun Sen in the New York Court for the 1997 grenade attack. Up until now, there is no sign of a summon for Mr. Hun Sen to appear before the court yet. However, Mr Sklar said he will continue to pursue the case because Mr. Hun Sen has broken his promises to stop harrassing and persecuting Mr. Sam Rainsy in exchange for him to withdraw his same previous lawsuit in 2005. "For the people who knew about the case of the grenade attack knew that the FBI has launched an investigation and that investigation has found that Hun Sen had been personally invloved with that granade attack, and the evidence did not only point out to Hun Sen, but pointed out that Hun Sen and his bodyguards had interfered with the FBI investigation and had threatened the FBI investigators that if the investigation still continue, the life of those FBI investigators will be in danger. So, there are numerous evidence which pointed to Hun Sen's interferences in the investigation", he said.
Source: RFA
A prominent American human rights lawyer who is repsenting opposition leader Sam Rainsy in a criminal case against Prime Minister Hun sen in the New York Court, said he is continuing his campaign to find justice for the victims of the 1997 grenade attack in front of the Cambodian parliament.
On 30th March, a number of unidentified persons thrown four grenades into a crowd of peaceful protesters, killing 19 people and wounded 190 others, including opposition leader Sam Rainsy and an American democracy campaigner, Ron Abney. The American FBI launched an investigation and, in its initial report, had suggested that Prime Minister Hun Sen's bodyguards posted nearby were involved or were behind the attack.
On 24th September, Mr. Morton Sklar, on behalf of Mr. Sam Rainsy, Ron Abney and other victims, had lodged a criminal legal complaint against Prime Minister Hun Sen in the New York Court for the 1997 grenade attack. Up until now, there is no sign of a summon for Mr. Hun Sen to appear before the court yet. However, Mr Sklar said he will continue to pursue the case because Mr. Hun Sen has broken his promises to stop harrassing and persecuting Mr. Sam Rainsy in exchange for him to withdraw his same previous lawsuit in 2005. "For the people who knew about the case of the grenade attack knew that the FBI has launched an investigation and that investigation has found that Hun Sen had been personally invloved with that granade attack, and the evidence did not only point out to Hun Sen, but pointed out that Hun Sen and his bodyguards had interfered with the FBI investigation and had threatened the FBI investigators that if the investigation still continue, the life of those FBI investigators will be in danger. So, there are numerous evidence which pointed to Hun Sen's interferences in the investigation", he said.
Mr. Sklar said he had already written a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about Mr. Hun Sen's interferences with the judicial system in Cambodia and his continuation with human rights abuses in the kingdom.
Mr. Sam Rainsy told RFA on 16th November that he decided to withdraw the same lawsuit against Mr. Hun sen in 2005 because at that time he didn't have enough evidence and also that Mr. Hun Sen had promised not to harrass him again. But, he decided to lodge another criminal complaint against Mr. Hun Sen because the FBI had made available more evidence incriminating Mr. Hun Sen in the 1997 grenade attack. "The question we ask is: why did Mr. Hun Sen's bodyguards threatened the American FBI agents and wanted to confuse public opinion and want to whitewash the truth to make people confuse from the truth and show the points that are opposite from the truth, so this a bad intention that try to hide the truth", he said.
Mr. Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, denied all Mr. Sam Rainsy's allegations, saying it is his rights to sue Prime Minister Hun Sen. "For him to continue his lawsuit is his rights. The kingdom of Cambodia has its proper court and we have the rule of laws as a sovereign nation which is a member of the United Nations and have Samdech Hun Sen as the prime minister, so he (Sam Rainsy) cannot do anything inappropriate as he pleases", he said.
Mr. Siphan added that there will be no political compromises to let Mr. Sam Rainsy return to Cambodia without facing charges of destruction to public property and spreading disinformation where he has been sentenced to 12 years jail.
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