A downfall of a media celebrity Thy Sovantha

By Khmer Wathanakam
www.cambo-asean.blogspot.com

Image credit Thy Sovantha's Facebook Page

Miss Thy Sovantha, a young woman who had emerged during the election campaign of 2013 and a courageous protester against election fraud in the post-election crisis is the one who stood on top of a vehicle leading thousands of protesters to demand Hun Sen step down from power.  She was very active in both politics and charity.  Since the 2013 election she has gained more popularity and support from people inside and outside the country. She is among only a few Cambodian figures who have received "Likes" from Facebook page over the 1 million mark: popular singer Meas Soksophea 2.3 million, Sam Rainsy 2.29 million, Thy Sovantha 1.5 million, as well as Hun Sen whose over 3 million "Likes" mark raised questions about its authenticity. 

Sovantha quickly earned her unofficial title as a media celebrity or a Facebook star. However, Sovantha's popularity has plummeted to its lowest level since she has brought a defamation lawsuit against CNRP vice president Kem Sokha, accusing him and his alleged mistress of defaming her over her new luxury car even though that recorded voice conversation [allegedly between Sokha and his "mistress"] was subsequently rejected as being inauthentic by the "mistress" in question herself in a series of media interviews. The published voice recording is believed by most analysts and people to be a concoction, set up by the CPP and Hun Sen in order to humiliate and discredit Kem Sokha and the CNRP as local and national elections are approaching.  Thy Sovantha wasted no time in acting upon the release of the voice conversation, and quickly accused Kem Sokha and his alleged mistress of defaming her.  Her quick action and unwise move against the CNRP's vice president whom she used to support has drawn fierce condemnation and reaction from her Facebook's fans and supporters.  Thousands of comments on her Facebook page have blamed, condemned, and cursed her, in contrast to previous comments that had always been full of praises and enthusiastic words.  Why did Thy Sovantha let her popularity take a downturn? Did she miscalculate public moods and opinions? Was she bought by the CPP, or did she fall into a cynical political game unknowingly?

Since the election of 2013, Miss thy Sovantha has proved herself a potential future leader because she is very active on political and social issues: from reporting hot news relating to political and social chaos, engaging in charity works and environmental protection in Areng valley and other areas, visiting border demarcation, helping orphans and so on.  All her activities have garnered praises and support from most people across the country and abroad.  Nonetheless, her reputation and popularity have turned upside down overnight when she jumped aboard a political scheme that more than likely Hun Sen and his CPP's supporters fabricated to weaken and humiliate CNRP's vice president Kem Sokha.  Hun Sen's game is to kill two birds with one arrow.  In this case, Hun Sen and his CPP sit and watch Thy Sovantha fight it out with Kem Sokha, and if Sovantha can proceed the case to the court, she will definitely win, for the court system remains firmly under Hun Sen's control. At the end of game, Kem Sokha may end up in prison and Thy Sovantha has already lost her popularity and support from most people.  This pattern of trickery had been used by Hun Sen in the past when he used Bunchay against Rannariddh, and even used Rannariddh's former wife Marie to sue her husband Rannariddh for adultery; something that forced Rannariddh to flee the country into exile for the second times.

In the current situation, Thy Sovantha should wait and find out the truth first whether the voice conversation is that of Sokha and his alleged mistress or a fake one, before seeking a legal action to protect her honour if allowed by law.  But she may miscalculate public opinion and has too much personal pride based on her Facebook's "Likes".  She has expected people would support her action no matter what. Or she is too young to think about political game and its repercussions, or she may become a political tool for Hun Sen to weaken and destroy the CNRP's leadership.  This is Thy Sovantha's fait accompli; her damage has been done; she has no way to regain her trust and support from the people again, and her future is in limbo: to stay with the CNRP camp or turn to support the CPP publicly, or to stay in her current charity work.  Either way, she still loses most support from the people inside and outside the country, as witnessed by thousands of negative comments on her Facebook page. 

For Thy Sovantha vs. Kem Sokha case, she has no legal ground to sue him even if the voice conversation is the real Kem Sokha's voice because it is his private conversation; he did not speak publicly on TVs or in Newspapers or intend to humiliate her in any situation.  If only such a simple gossip could become a defamation case, there would be not enough prison facilities to put all people who speak like this in their daily life. In fact, the government should instead investigate the people who got Sokha's voice. How did they get it? Did they get permission to record his voice? For what reason and purpose? Instead, the government investigated and interrogated the victims when the thieves and wrong-doers are free to publish an unauthorized voice recording.  Even President Nixon lost his presidency when he secretly had ordered voice recording of the Democrat conversation without authorization. But in Cambodia Kem Sokha becomes a double victim. Also along with Sovantha's lawsuit, another group of so-called students brought a petition to the Anti-Corruption Unit demanding Kem Sokha to explain his alleged scandal. Why do these students concern themselves far more with Kem Sokha's personal matters than they do over social and national issues? Probably, most people know the answer.

Although this case has become more complicated, most people may well understand who is behind this dirty scheme. Recently, Hun Sen warned the CNRP not to label him as being behind the case; "If you resist, you will be crushed."  Such a warning clearly indicates that he is the real culprit. This case is therefore most likely a smear campaign by Hun Sen against his opponents in order to humiliate and destroy the CNRP which represents the only viable force to unseat him from power in the next general election.  It's a good strategy when Kem Sokha and CNRP chose to be silent and not to respond or defend himself from such a ridiculous allegation but stay focused on more important national issues.

For Thy Sovantha, she is too young to be involved in such a dangerous political game.  She has too much personal pride and is being tempted with materialism.  Now she has already fallen deeply into Hun Sen's trap or become Hun Sen's political tool to destroy the CNRP which she has hitherto strongly supported.  However, she can't destroy the CNRP but her own popularity, reputation, and future.  From now on she no longer becomes an idol to her fans and supporters as used to be before.  She completely destroys her own future and honour overnight when she had spent years building it.  Even some analysts criticized her for pandering to her own popularity rating concerns and materialism by keeping her name in the news; she has forgotten her own roots. She had gained much attention from the public because she had been seen as being strongly anti-Hun Sen and had supported the opposition CNRP.  Now she bites her own tail.