Thursday, 19 June 2008

Prosecutors Asked for Suspension of Sam Rainsy’s Immunity

Posted on 18 June 2008.
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 565

“The Phnom Penh Court sent a letter to the National Assembly president Samdech Heng Samrin through the Minister of Justice asking to suspend the immunity of the opposition party president Mr. Sam Rainsy over a case, numbered 693, dated 22 April 2008, from the Prosecution Office to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

“A letter numbered 110 from the Prosecution Office to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court was sent, asking the National Assembly president Samdech Heng Samrin to suspend the immunity of the parliamentarian Sam Rainsy, a parliamentarian from Phnom Penh, over the lawsuit of Mr. Hor Namhong, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on 22 April 2008, regarding Mr. Sam Rainsy, on the accusation of defamation and disinformation, which is a crime stated in the new Article 63 of the amendment of Article 63, and of Article 62 of the criminal law.

“It should be remembered that on 17 April 2008, at the Choeung Ek genocidal memorial site at Meanchey District, Phnom Penh, Mr. Sam Rainsy said publicly that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hor Namhong, was the chief of the Boeng Trabaek Prison during the Khmer Rouge Regime. He said that being the chief of the Boeng Trabaek Prison was not by chance; unless Khmer Rouge leaders ordered that he could be the prison chief, and that the prison chief was very powerful, that is why they do not want to try all of those [former] Khmer Rouge leaders.

“The same letter shows that after the opposition party leader Mr. Sam Rainsy said these words, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hor Namhong, submitted the lawsuit through Mr. Kar Savuth as his lawyer on 22 April 2008, accusing Mr. Sam Rainsy of defamation and disinformation. After an initial investigation, the Prosecution Office to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court checked and has collected evidence that Sam Rainsy is suspected of defamation and disinformation, and a proposal to suspend his immunity as parliamentarian from Phnom Penh was sent to the National Assembly. This letter was issued by the prosecutor Uk Savuth, but so far, the the National Assembly has not yet decided to suspend his immunity. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr. Hor Namhong, has won a court case in France against the Great Heroic King Norodom Sihanouk over the same issue; therefore he will continue to sue anyone who accuses him that he was related to the Khmer Rouge killing field regime.”

Khmer Sthapana, Vol.1, #29, 18-20.6.2008

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