12 August 2009
By Zakariya
Source: Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
PM Hun Xen indicated that the verdict rendered by the Phnom Penh municipal court allowing him to win his lawsuit against Mrs. Mu Sochua is fairness, he said that he was not the one who sued first, it was Mrs. Mu Sochua who tried to sue him first [KI-Media Note: In a prior speech, Hun Xen said the opposite, he indicated that he was not countersuing Mu Sochua, but that he was the first one to sue Mu Sochua].
In a speech given during a distribution of diplomas to students graduating from the university of law and economic science in the morning of 12 August, Hun Sen said that he can fight back in any manner, whether it is through legal or military means.
Hun Xen said: “You are not Aung San Suu Kyi, don’t have high hope! Now I am saying this: continue your lawsuit! Sue me and I continue the lawsuit. When I sue you through the court, you are lucky, you affected me, and I didn’t use my power. I am the PM, and I am willing to use the court, [I have] an army, but I prefer using the court. What happen if I don’t use the court and use gun bullets instead? Let’s make clear to each other, under my order, only two hours are needed to take over all of Phnom Penh, let you try me! If I use dictatorial power, wherever you flee you will not get away, I corner you all.”
Hun Sen indicated that the competition should be done on the national development instead.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy reacted by saying that the current Cambodian court is merely a tool serving the country leader only, it does not serve justice to the people at all. However, Sam Rainsy agreed with Hun Sen’s last point, i.e. if [the opposition] wants to win, it should win in the national development in order to advance the county.
Sam Rainsy said: “His last point is reasonable, i.e. if we want to compete with each other, we must compete on the development. That is, we must gather ideas for the people to compare and see which one is better than the other for the nation, which one brings quick progress to the people’s livelihood.”
Chan Soveth, an investigator for the Adhoc human rights group, said that Hun Xen’s speech is worrisome because what he was doing was to flex his power muscle. “Regarding the use of guns, I think that nobody in Cambodia has guns, explosives or armed forces anymore, they only have the law. Therefore, what can be noted is that the speech of the PM is worrisome, I am concerned that, in spite of the lawsuit, [nobody] can win over Samdach [Hun Xen] at all,” Chan Saveth added.
The Phnom Penh municipal court rendered its verdict on 04 August, and it ordered SRP MP Mu Sochua to pay fines amounting to 16.5 million riels ($4,125) for defaming Hun Xen.
Nevertheless, Chan Soveth appealed for an end to the defamation and disinformation lawsuits, he called for peaceful resolution in the spirit of democracy in Cambodia.
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