After Moeung Sonn, Three Newspapers Are Involved in Complaints about Drilling into Some Walls at the Angkor Wat Temple to Attach Electric Bulbs

Posted on 17 July 2009
The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 621
http://cambodiamirror.wordpress.com/

“After the president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation, Mr. Moeung Sonn, was convicted by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Wednesday, government lawyers hinted that three others newspapers are also involved in complaints over the drilling of some walls of the Angkor Wat Temple to attach electric bulbs, and this reporting troubled the government.

“It is said that the information in those newspapers seemed to trouble Cambodia, indeed, they intend to incite and to create misunderstandings.

“According to the lawyers, the three newspapers include two pro-government newspapers and an opposition newspaper.

“The pro-government newspapers are Rasmei Kampuchea and Kampuchea Thmey, and the opposition newspaper is Khmer Machas Srok, whose editor-in-chief is now jailed in the Prey Sar Prison for criticizing corruption among high ranking officials in the Council of Ministers.

“However, according to court officials, they do not know the fate of Khmer Machas Srok sued by the government for publicizing information about drilling into some walls at the Angkor Wat Temple to attach electric bulbs. But as for Rasmei Kampuchea and Kampuchea Thmey, these have been already reported to the court, but this intervention had been made quietly so that the public could not know about it.

“It should be noted that in May 2009, information about drilling into some walls at the Angkor Wat Temple to attach electric bulbs was considered to be a hot and sensitive issue for the Cambodian government.

“The president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation, Mr. Moeung Sonn, had gone directly to see the site, and he claimed that there was drilling into some walls of the Angkor Wat Temple to create square holes to set up electric lighting which damaged that Khmer national priceless heritage.

“But at the end, because of the words he spoke after he obviously went to check, he was sued for incitement and disinformation by the Council of Ministers, which controls the Apsara Authority [the 'Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap'].

“Mr. Moeung Sonn, now in France, was sentenced by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in absentia to two years in prison and fined Riel 15 million [approx. US$3,750 - but other papers says Riel 7 million] on 14 July 2009. Moreover, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued an arrest warrant following the judgment.

“Fearing the danger because of his recently expressed opinion, Mr. Moeung Sonn called on the master of the country, [Prime Minister] Mr. Hun Sen, to help to intervene to dismiss the accusation against him.

“Nevertheless, officials of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court said that Mr. Moeung Sonn’s case appeared somewhat difficult to forgive, because his comment at that time strongly embarrassed the government in front of the national and international public, especially the Minister of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Sok An, who allowed the Sou Ching company to fix electric lighting. But the electric installation was later removed.

“[Deputy Prime Minister] Sok An [having been requested to explain the situation to the National Assembly on 19 June 2009] responded in the National Assembly about the drilling: that it did not pose any damage and that even UNESCO experts also agreed.

“Regarding what the Deputy Prime Minister had said, it is questioned why the Sou Ching company had removed the electric wiring so quickly when it was already claimed that it leads to no impact, and why not let it be there? This is seen as surprising. But it is not the time to talk what they have seen, because at present the powerful use prisons as an important method to warn those who dare to speak the truth.”

Sereypheap Thmey, Vol.17, #1751, 16.7.2009
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Thursday, 16 July 2009