Sam Rainsy Is Prepared to Let Himself Be Imprisoned in Exchange, so that Dam Sith Would Be Released

Posted on 11 June 2008.
The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 564

Sam Rainsy Prepares to Sue Hor Namhong, with [the former Khmer Rouge Leader] Ieng Sary as His Witness

“Phnom Penh: ‘The editor-in-chief of Moneaksekar Khmer Dam Sith should not be arrested, it is better to arrest me because this editor-in-chief just wrote repeating my words, saying that Hor Namhong was involved in the Khmer Rouge regime.’ This said the president of the opposition party, Mr. Sam Rainsy, to journalists at his party headquarters.

“Stating this in a press conference which lasted nearly an hour, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. yesterday 10 June 2008, Mr. Sam Rainsy asked to arrest him in exchange for the release of Mr. Dam Sith, who has no guilt.

“Mr. Sam Rainsy said the arrest of Mr. Dam Sith is a totally political issue, and it might affect the upcoming election. ‘I consider it to be political war, or the failure to buy Mr. Dam Sith and arresting him, in order to intimidate the Sam Rainsy Party before the election.’ Mr. Sam Rainsy said, ‘Mr. Dam Sith just reported the words I had said in his newspaper, related to Hor Namhong’ case. So, if they want an arrest, they should arrest me, because I said these words.

Mr. Sam Rainsy stressed, ‘I talked about Hor Namhong by relating him to the Khmer Rouge regime, but I just repeated the words of Samdech Euv [the Father King] Norodom Sihanouk.

Therefore, if they want to arrest Sam Rainsy, they must firstly arrest Samdech Euv.’
“He said, ‘I consider the arrest of Mr. Dam Sith to be illegal, also because he was arrested on a Sunday, which is a day when the [court] administration is normally not operating.’

“Mr. Sam Rainsy added that they should release Mr. Dam Sith soon. Now, there are already reactions from everywhere over this arrest. There are international observers who prepare to join as election observers in Cambodia soon, but now consider to cancel their travel to Cambodia, as long as this journalist is not released.

“Mr. Sam Rainsy referred to some documents, showing that Mr. Hor Namhong was formerly head of the Boeng Trabaek prison during the Khmer Rouge regime. Mr. Sam Rainsy also instructs two lawyers, Mr. Chuong Choungy and Mr. Kong Sam On, to sue Mr. Hor Namhong.

Mr. Sam Rainsy requests Ieng Sary to be his witness in this lawsuit. However, he must first sue him at the Phnom Penh court, in order to clarify the procedures, whether the Khmer Rouge Tribunal allows Ieng Sary to be his witness or not. Previously, Mr. Hor Namhong sued at the Phnom Penh court, suggesting to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to let Kang Kek Iev, alias Duch, to be his witness, but this request has been rejected by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.

“Mr. Sam Rainsy uses a document from Rasmei Kampuchea when they had interviewed Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, now using this document to accuse Mr. Hor Namhong, saying that he was loyal to Ieng Sary during that period. Mr. Sam Rainsy also said that during the period of Democratic Kampuchea, Mr. Van Piny had been the chief of the Boeng Trabaek prison - called the ‘K17 Prison, - and when he resigned, Mr. Hor Namhong replaced him in this position; his wife was head of the women’s unit, and one of his sons was head of the children’s unit.

“This is the explanation of Mr. Sam Rainsy with some documents as reference to link Mr. Hor Namhong to the Khmer Rouge regime.

“Mr. Hor Namhong has rejected the accusation, saying that in the Khmer Rouge regime he was not the chief of Boeng Trabaek Prison, but he said he was also a victim. With a similar accusation, Mr. Hor Namhong had sued and won against Samdech Euv already - so why does Mr. Sam Rainsy want to dig up this old story? What Mr. Sam Rainsy raised by repeating Samdech Euv’s words means that he had already made a mistake, because a court has already decided that Mr. Hor Namhong was the winner in that court case.

“In this press conference, Mr. Sam Rainsy expressed also concerns that the monarchy might be dissolved. Now, some politicians claim the monarchy to belong be their own party, which might bring problems in view of the constitution, and also result in problems for the throne. Mr. Sam Rainsy considers that there may be an aim to eliminate the opposition party, then to send the King into exile abroad, and change Cambodia into a country under a dictatorship.”

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1664, 11.6.2008