Wed, 02 Apr 2008Press TV
The trial of a US-based Cambodian rebel leader accused of attempting to overthrow the government in his homeland begins in California.
Chhun Yasith, 51, the president of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF), is charged with orchestrating a failed but bloody coup attempt against Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh in November 2000.
He faces four charges including conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and engaging in a military expedition against a nation with which the United States is at peace. He could be jailed for life without parole if convicted on all charges during his trial at Los Angeles Superior Court.
Prosecutors say Chhun Yasith was the mastermind of an attack on government institutions in Cambodia's capital, including the ministry of defense, the Council of Ministers and a military headquarters building.
In the attempt to overthrow Hun Sen, about 60 armed men stormed into Phnom Penh firing AK-47 rifles and rockets at government buildings, leaving at least four people dead. More than 100 people were jailed for the attack. Chhun Yasith, an accountant, was arrested by the FBI at his home in Long Beach, south of Los Angeles, in June 2005.
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