Excerpt from "The state of human rights in eleven Asian nations - 2010" by AHRC
The restricted freedom of expression for media workers also applies on political opponents, which the dreadful case of Sam Rainsy (pictured), the main opposition leader, clearly exemplifies.
Rainsy went into self-exile on February 3, 2005 after a vote in the National Assembly removed his parliamentarian immunity along with two other party members. Rainsy was charged with criminal defamation for his accusation of corruption between the CPP and Funcinpec in the formation of the current coalition government. Moreover he accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of involvement in the murder of Chea Vichea in 2004. He was tried in absentia on December 22, 2005 and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment along with a fine of $14,000 as compensation.
However, on February 5, 2006, at Hun Sen’s request, Rainsy received a Royal Pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni and returned to Cambodia on February 10, 2006.
In October 2009 Sam Rainsy led a protest against alleged border markings at the Vietnamese border, which Cambodian villagers are said to have lost land to.
Vietnam condemned Rainsy’s actions and urged the Cambodian government to protect the treaties and agreements between the two countries. Soon after Rainsy faced a sentence of 2 years imprisonment as the court found him guilty of destruction of property and racial incitement for uprooting markers along the Vietnam border. Rainsy fled to England France, where he is currently in exile.
On January 1, 2010 the court issued an arrest warrant after Rainsy failed to appear in court due to his exile. On September 23, 2010, Rainsy was sentenced to 12 years additional imprisonment on forgery and disinformation charges for publishing a map on his party’s website of the alleged Vietnamese border encroachment. He also received a fine of more than $15,000 as reparation since he, according to a judge, had posted the map as an act to damage the image of the Cambodian government.
The verdict has been condemned by the international community. However the Government attorney Ky Tech defends the absurd verdict explaining that “the damage caused by Sam Rainsy was very big.”
The new sentence of Sam Rainsy will obviously deprive Cambodia of its main opposition leader and therefore weaken the opposition up to the 2012 election. The case illustrates the government’s systematic use of the courts to silence critics and political opponents. It furthermore illustrates the arbitrary use of defamation and disinformation laws. The increased criminalization of defamation and disinformation confirms the fear of a decline in the right to freedom of expression and the right to association and assembly in Cambodia. The government along with state officials seem to have developed a hypersensitivity to criticism as the control of the individual freedom and the political climate for free debates has tightened.
Ironically, while perpetrators of serious crimes remain unpunished, political opponents and dissidents keep facing absurd and severe sentences ruled by court.
Rainsy went into self-exile on February 3, 2005 after a vote in the National Assembly removed his parliamentarian immunity along with two other party members. Rainsy was charged with criminal defamation for his accusation of corruption between the CPP and Funcinpec in the formation of the current coalition government. Moreover he accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of involvement in the murder of Chea Vichea in 2004. He was tried in absentia on December 22, 2005 and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment along with a fine of $14,000 as compensation.
However, on February 5, 2006, at Hun Sen’s request, Rainsy received a Royal Pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni and returned to Cambodia on February 10, 2006.
In October 2009 Sam Rainsy led a protest against alleged border markings at the Vietnamese border, which Cambodian villagers are said to have lost land to.
Vietnam condemned Rainsy’s actions and urged the Cambodian government to protect the treaties and agreements between the two countries. Soon after Rainsy faced a sentence of 2 years imprisonment as the court found him guilty of destruction of property and racial incitement for uprooting markers along the Vietnam border. Rainsy fled to England France, where he is currently in exile.
On January 1, 2010 the court issued an arrest warrant after Rainsy failed to appear in court due to his exile. On September 23, 2010, Rainsy was sentenced to 12 years additional imprisonment on forgery and disinformation charges for publishing a map on his party’s website of the alleged Vietnamese border encroachment. He also received a fine of more than $15,000 as reparation since he, according to a judge, had posted the map as an act to damage the image of the Cambodian government.
The verdict has been condemned by the international community. However the Government attorney Ky Tech defends the absurd verdict explaining that “the damage caused by Sam Rainsy was very big.”
The new sentence of Sam Rainsy will obviously deprive Cambodia of its main opposition leader and therefore weaken the opposition up to the 2012 election. The case illustrates the government’s systematic use of the courts to silence critics and political opponents. It furthermore illustrates the arbitrary use of defamation and disinformation laws. The increased criminalization of defamation and disinformation confirms the fear of a decline in the right to freedom of expression and the right to association and assembly in Cambodia. The government along with state officials seem to have developed a hypersensitivity to criticism as the control of the individual freedom and the political climate for free debates has tightened.
Ironically, while perpetrators of serious crimes remain unpunished, political opponents and dissidents keep facing absurd and severe sentences ruled by court.
6 comments:
I thought Rainsy is the madness man but Khmerization are wosrt than Rainsy, only smale blogs you can't managed it. If you are not crystale clear about your vision, your management will lease well, be fair and reasonable, make it very invited blogs for educated reader, or people will path you by like KI, you can see now, its importance to to report only true to the trueness of the issue not exagerate like Hun sen got cancele ...ect,
Criminal Khmer Rogue CPP leaders are creating hello on earth for Cambodia. Rainsy is the man to take care of them.
Long live Hun Sen, death to Cambodia!
Mike at 2:13 PM, You said Khmerization is a good blog and good team when it praised and said all the good things your leader Hun Sen. But when it publishes good news about the oppositions you said it is the worst blog. Come one, make up your mind and be sensible and open-minded.
9:22 are you a fortun-teller you have such accurat quese, but you should know, me and other people they only like man who his words said the thrue to the trueness of the real issue, but not with Rainsy and his cronies, if bunch of messy people in KI or SRP came to power, Can you immargine Khmer future is in missory again irght?, now you see to yourself right, it will be a restart everythings that most likely lead to another missory like in KR pol pot did in the past, will you put all Khmer security at risk again, you don't right, don't you?. Rainsy he is money maker and he is just A Thai double agent, its very dangerous for us right? please see both side befor you make any judgement. Mike
When Khmer sympathizer depicted Thailand as a "Cancerous State of the World Body United Nation",Thai valets try to change the subject by introducing false report of "Lung Cancer". Now you see the connection clearly. Khmerization just did the impartial report to let people know and figure things out.
THANK YOU KHMERIZATION KEEP UP YOUR EXCELLENT WORKS!
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