Thursday, 23 September 2010

Rainsy to file complaint against PM


Photo by: Heng Chivoan
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy speaks at a press conference in February 2009.
via CAAI

Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:47 Sebastian Strangio and Meas Sokchea

EMBATTLED opposition leader Sam Rainsy says he plans to file fresh complaints against Prime Minister Hun Sen in a US court accusing him of involvement in a 1997 grenade attack on an opposition rally that left 16 dead and more than 100 injured.

The politician, who is currently living in self-imposed exile said he would unveil more details of the complaint at a videoconference from France at the Sam Rainsy Party’s headquarters on Friday.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Sam Rainsy promised to initiate “new judicial proceedings in New York against Mr Hun Sen and his subordinates in relation to a deadly 1997 grenade attack in Phnom Penh and an investigation by the US Federation Bureau of Investigation”.

On March 30, 1997, four grenades were thrown at a rally held by the opposition Khmer Nation Party – the predecessor to the SRP – killing 16 and injuring scores of bystanders.

Sam Rainsy has long alleged the involvement of Brigade 70, Hun Sen’s personal bodyguard.

The complaint comes as Hun Sen departed for New York, where he will attend the 2nd ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting on Friday.

It recalls a similar lawsuit filed in US and French courts in 2005, ahead of another of Hun Sen’s visits to New York. ...read the full story in tomorrow’s Phnom Penh Post or see the updated story in online from 3PM UTC/GMT +7 hours.

No comments: