The Government Sues Rasmei Kampuchea at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court – Friday, 12.6.2009

Posted on 12 June 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 616
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“Phnom Penh: According to a source of information, obtained in the morning of 11 June 2009 by Deum Ampil, the Royal Government of Cambodia recently had filed a complaint at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court against Rasmei Kampuchea, a well-known pro-government daily newspaper.

“According to that source, this complaint was presented to the court on Tuesday, 9 June 2009, and was filed by a lawyer of the Royal Government

“The complaint by the Royal Government is the second one in June, after the Royal Government sued [the president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation] Mr. Moeung Son, for expressing information considered to be provoking, regarding to the setting up electric bulbs to illuminate part of the Angkor Wat temple for tourists, one of the world’s seven wonders [?] and a priceless place of Khmer culture.

“To clarify this case, Deum Ampil contacted the government lawyer Mr. Pao Chandara. He said,’I am not responsible for that case (the complaint by the government against Rasmei Kampuchea), but the lawyer Doung Loeung is responsible, who is also a lawyer of the government.’

“Mr. Doung Loeung could not be reached for comment in the evening of 11 June 2009, because he switched off his phone, and even trying to contact his colleagues through other mobile phones still did not lead to a contact with him.

“Based on the same information source, it was learned that, after a lawyer of the Royal Government had lodged a complaint with the prosecutors of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday, this case was transferred by Prosecutor Yet Chakriya to Deputy Prosecutor Sok Kalyan.

“Contacted on Thursday evening, Mr. Sok Kalyan said, ‘I have not yet worked on this complaint. This complaint is complicated, and therefore I would not like to make any comment.’

“Based on what Deputy Prosecutor Sok Kalyan said, it is assumed that the complaint against Rasmei Kampuchea had already reached the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, but the reason why the Royal Government sued Rasmei Kampuchea through the lawyer Doung Loeung is not yet known.

“The editor-in-chief of Rasmei Kampuchea , Mr. Pen Pheng, also known as Mr. Pen Samithi, told Deum Ampil that he did not know anything about the complaint filed by government lawyers against Rasmei Kampuchea. In turn, the editor-in-chief of Rasmei Kampuchea asked the interviewers, ‘I don’t know… What do they sue me for?’

“After there was information that the government had sued Rasmei Kampuchea, a leading newspaper, some observers questioned, ‘Why Rasmei Kampuchea, a leading and highly respected well-known newspaper, is sued?’

“Another source of information said that the Royal Government did not sue the newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea, but the manager of this newspaper, or a reporter of the newspaper is the one that a government lawyer sued.

“The same source added that another leading newspaper was also sued by a government lawyer, but this information is not clear.”

Deum Ampil, Vol.1, #208, 12.6.2009
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 12 June 2009