Radio Free Asia
The exiled opposition leader blasts impunity for Cambodian officials in alleged extrajudicial killings.
Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy is preparing a lawsuit in the U.S. against officials in Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government who may
be linked to extrajudicial killings in Cambodia, as highlighted by a
recent probe report by an international rights group.
The report, released last week by the New York-based Human Rights Watch, detailed more than 300 murders of political opponents, human rights activists and labor leaders in Cambodia over the past 20 years.
Human Rights Watch accused the Cambodian government of providing impunity to those responsible for the deaths, saying that “instead of prosecuting officials responsible for killings and other serious abuses, Prime Minister Hun Sen has promoted and rewarded them.”
In a statement released through the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), Sam Rainsy said he had launched the lawsuit to bring attention to “the long-standing policy of the current Cambodian government to engage in major human rights abuses, while preventing the country’s law enforcement authorities and courts from acting to secure justice for these crimes.”
“I wish to announce plans elaborated with my American lawyer in Washington D.C. to prepare court cases to be brought before the United States courts against the perpetrators of these assassinations identified in the Human Rights Watch report,” the statement said.
Sam Rainsy said that the cases will be filed if and when any of the officials in question travel to the U.S., without elaborating on which court would handle the suits.
Cambodian officials have not responded to Sam Rainsy’s statement.
Sam Rainsy, who currently lives in Paris and who faces up to 11 years of jail time in Cambodia for various offenses he says were part of a campaign of political persecution, had used a similar legal strategy to negotiate a return to his home country from exile in 2005.
The head of the united opposition coalition National Rescue Party (NRP) has vowed to return to Cambodia to challenge Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in general elections next year.
2005 settlement
In 2005, Sam Rainsy filed a similar suit through the Federal District Court in New York alleging Hun Sen’s use of a private guard unit to carry out a grenade attack against a meeting of political opposition groups that left several of the participants dead or wounded in 1997. A U.S. citizen observing the demonstration was also injured in the attack.
That case was temporarily settled when Hun Sen agreed to free a number of political prisoners and permit Sam Rainsy’s return to Cambodia after a year of exile following the opposition leader’s prosecution by a local Cambodian court on what he said were also politically motivated charges.
“The preparation of these court actions will provide a means for obtaining justice against major human rights abusers in Cambodia, who until now have been cloaked with impunity because the Cambodian government would not allow law enforcement authorities and the courts to prosecute them,” Sam Rainsy said of the new cases.
He warned officials cited in the Human Rights Watch report that if he files the lawsuit, they could face action when they traveled overseas.
He said that the lawsuit may also subject Hun Sen to court action in the U.S. again “as soon as he leaves office and can no longer claim head of state immunity status.”
Sam Rainsy said that the preparation of the court cases was a move to end the government’s “prevailing policy … of providing impunity from prosecution in Cambodia to major human rights abusers” and to ensure that no one involved in such crimes escapes “justice and international condemnation.”
“The systemic human rights abuses of the present Phnom Penh government, and their policy of repression of the political opposition, must stop if true democracy is to be realized in Cambodia by the time when national elections are held in 2013.”
The report, released last week by the New York-based Human Rights Watch, detailed more than 300 murders of political opponents, human rights activists and labor leaders in Cambodia over the past 20 years.
Human Rights Watch accused the Cambodian government of providing impunity to those responsible for the deaths, saying that “instead of prosecuting officials responsible for killings and other serious abuses, Prime Minister Hun Sen has promoted and rewarded them.”
In a statement released through the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), Sam Rainsy said he had launched the lawsuit to bring attention to “the long-standing policy of the current Cambodian government to engage in major human rights abuses, while preventing the country’s law enforcement authorities and courts from acting to secure justice for these crimes.”
“I wish to announce plans elaborated with my American lawyer in Washington D.C. to prepare court cases to be brought before the United States courts against the perpetrators of these assassinations identified in the Human Rights Watch report,” the statement said.
Sam Rainsy said that the cases will be filed if and when any of the officials in question travel to the U.S., without elaborating on which court would handle the suits.
Cambodian officials have not responded to Sam Rainsy’s statement.
Sam Rainsy, who currently lives in Paris and who faces up to 11 years of jail time in Cambodia for various offenses he says were part of a campaign of political persecution, had used a similar legal strategy to negotiate a return to his home country from exile in 2005.
The head of the united opposition coalition National Rescue Party (NRP) has vowed to return to Cambodia to challenge Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in general elections next year.
2005 settlement
In 2005, Sam Rainsy filed a similar suit through the Federal District Court in New York alleging Hun Sen’s use of a private guard unit to carry out a grenade attack against a meeting of political opposition groups that left several of the participants dead or wounded in 1997. A U.S. citizen observing the demonstration was also injured in the attack.
That case was temporarily settled when Hun Sen agreed to free a number of political prisoners and permit Sam Rainsy’s return to Cambodia after a year of exile following the opposition leader’s prosecution by a local Cambodian court on what he said were also politically motivated charges.
“The preparation of these court actions will provide a means for obtaining justice against major human rights abusers in Cambodia, who until now have been cloaked with impunity because the Cambodian government would not allow law enforcement authorities and the courts to prosecute them,” Sam Rainsy said of the new cases.
He warned officials cited in the Human Rights Watch report that if he files the lawsuit, they could face action when they traveled overseas.
He said that the lawsuit may also subject Hun Sen to court action in the U.S. again “as soon as he leaves office and can no longer claim head of state immunity status.”
Sam Rainsy said that the preparation of the court cases was a move to end the government’s “prevailing policy … of providing impunity from prosecution in Cambodia to major human rights abusers” and to ensure that no one involved in such crimes escapes “justice and international condemnation.”
“The systemic human rights abuses of the present Phnom Penh government, and their policy of repression of the political opposition, must stop if true democracy is to be realized in Cambodia by the time when national elections are held in 2013.”
Reported by RFA’s Khmer service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
15 comments:
Mr. Sam Rainsy, you better sue Mr. Henry Kissinger, than Mr. Hun Sen in the US court.
Good on you Mr. Rainsy. Hun Sen is a war criminal who killed many Funcinpec officials after the 1997 coup. Hun Sen was responsible for the 197 grenade attack, the 1997 coup, the assassination of actress Pisith Pilika, so Hun Sen must be indicted by International Criminal Court in Holland or American court.
God Bless you Mr Sam Rainsy, We are Cambodians wish to see Hun Sen will hang Like Sadam Husen, you must sue him not just at US court but at International Criminal court, French Court and many International Court too, we are sure you will win 100%, there are many many eyewitness will support your case as long as you can assure their safety, this is the way to get HUN SEN to step down from the Power and Cambodia will have a good country in the future, other than that HUN SEN will not prepare to step down and HUN SEN will not to have a free and fair election, now he is planing to have a trick how to cheat the International donators again showing them to have a fair and free election for next year, but he is preparing from the low level up to the top level people to organize the trick how to cheat the vote.
I do not think HUN SEN cares US, he will go to China way to secure his power, HUN SEN believes himself can stand on the power until his age 90 because his Boss Vietcong had signed agreement with him, to pay back to Vietcong for his permanent power, HUN SEN had agreed to cut some Cambodian land to Vietnam and let 1 million Vietnamese refugee to live in Cambodia permanently. He will blame to Sey Hanuk if found out Cambodian land will lost to Vietnam, he can not betray Vietcong because Vietcong is working and watching closely every HUN SEN activity in Phnom Penh I have been told from the top CPP hi ranking officer in Phnom Penh.
Mr Sam Rainsy must sue HUN SEN not just only at US court, but he must sue HUN SEN at UN COURT in the Hague, the Netherlands, and Mr Sam Rainsy must copy the Top Human Right Watch officer Mr Brad Adam sending his report to any International institutions and to many Cambodian donated countries to let them know the trick of HUN SEN, I bit my life HUN SEN will not step down from the Power unless the US, the western pull him off from the power like Sadam HUSEN or Cambodians people standing up against him like in Arab countries, Mr Sam Rainsy must translate the Brad Adam the human right watch officer report into Khmer language and publish many many issues and sending to Cambodian people inside Cambodia as long as outside Cambodia too.
How many time that Sam Rainsy said he will do something. I think action is better than word. Talking is cheap, Do you want me to believe him? Come on Sam Rainsy stop BS, action is need on your side.
U.S COURTS? Really? Money and power will bring down hun sen, but suing him in the U.S court will do nothing. Cambodia does not go by the law. The only law they have is money and power in which ranisy has none of. What a waste of time!!!
I think Sam Rainsy needs to be consistent with his approach or strategy. A few days ago he was begging Hun Sen to allow him to return to Cambodia and now he is suing Hun Sen in US.
Lacking of consistency making him (Sam Raisy) look like a desperate politician without guts.
He needs to be firm and thoughtful with his actions, not changing direction left and right like that.
Why is this loser Sam Rainsy keeps appearing on Khmerization and Ki Media. He's irrelevant now. The guy should step down from politics for good.
22 November 2012 4:00 AM,
Dumb Youn/Vietnamese dog eater, stop being so ridiculous. When your Dumb Dog Eating brain will be stirred to make you stop talking trashy.
Great moves!! This action "talk" will guarantee that there is no sam rainsy in cambodia UNLESS hun sen is dead or removed from power.
2013 election will have to go on with the president of CNRP "sam rainsy" competing with hun sen.
Sam Rainsy should become a monk like Delai Lama of Tibet and pray everyday wait for God come to help
until then just collect food and money from follower (the poor)is a good way to do for living.
New party must find a new PM in Sam Rainsy place because Rainsy can't run in election 2013.Hun sen banned him took his name of the list, how in the world you expect to win while Cpp won't allows you to run? Mr Rainsy should give up the post find someone whom can takes his place to run for position in 2013.
For the sake of Cambodian's people Rainsy should just stay on the side line for awhile until Hun sen gone from his post and the ban is lift then Rainsy can run for office for the next term.
Hun sen hated Rainsy si much he'll do anything in his power to destroy Rainsy,even if Hun sen has to spend all his money to destroy Rainsy Hun sen by any means he will....So stay away for awhile for the sake of Cambodian's people and the country as whole,I say this with due all my respect to him as a hero to our nation in this generation.
Yobal Khmer
ល្មមឈប់ដើរធ្វើអំពើលីលាទៀតទៅវាពុំមានប្រយោជន៏អ្វីដលប្រជារាស្ត្រខ្មែរទ
អាមេរិកបានសម្លាប់ប្រជាជនខ្មែរជាច្រើនលានដោយសារសង្គ្រាមនៅឥណ្ឌូចិនមូលហេតុដោយចង់បំបាត់
លទ្ធិគុម្មុនិសចិន សួរថាអមេរិកមានភាពទទួលខុសត្រូវទេ ពលរដ្នខ្មែរឈប់មានជំនឿទៅលើអាមេរិកហើយ
អ្នកធ្វើអំពើអ្វីមិនស្គាល់សុខទុក្ខ សេចក្តីត្រូវការ របស់រាស្ត្រផង ប្រើនយោបាយកំហឹងទល់និងកំហល់ តើសមជាជាអ្នកនយោបាយទេ គួរគិតមើលថា
ហេតុអ្វីបានជាខ្លួនឯងដើរខុសម្ដងហើយម្ដងទៀត
មួលហេតុមកពីស្គាល់ខ្លួនឯងពុំច្បាស់?
អ្វើអំពើអ្វីតាមចិត្តខ្លួននឹកឃើញ ក្មានគឹតពិចារណា
តើអំពើដែលធ្វើទៅវាមានលទ្ធឹផលបែបណា គ្រោះថ្នាក់ឬទេ
ធ្វើរបៀបនេះបើកាន់ទ័ពទៅវាយខ្មាំងច្បាស់ជាងាប់គ្មានសល់?
ជាពិសេសអាមាត់ចេះតែនិយាយតែខ្លួនឯងធ្វើពុំកើតមិនឃើញចេញជាផលអ្វី? មិនដូចពាក្សដែលខ្លួនថា វាមិនដូចកុហក់គេទេ នេះឬចង់អ្វើជាអ្នកដឹកនាំខ្មែរ មិននាំខ្មែរឳយទៅងាប់ទៀតទេ?
Fantasy or hallucination:
Sam Rainsy sue Mr. Hun Sen in a US court.
Maybe some of us should do the same, by suing Mr. Henry Kissinger in a Cambodian court.
Post a Comment