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| Seng Kunnaka (Photo: Ly Meng Huor, RFI) |
Thomas Miller
The Phnom Penh Post
Global press freedom watchdog Reporters Sans Frontières has condemned last month’s rapid-fire conviction of United Nations World Food Programme employee Seng Kunnaka for criminal incitement.
“This conviction reflects the harder line being taken by the government on online free expression,” the Paris-based group said in a statement released late on Monday.
“While not commenting on the content of the article, we point out that Seng [Kunnaka] did not distribute it publicly, which is punishable under Cambodia law. He just printed it in order to read it with two colleagues,” the group said.
Seng Kunnaka was arrested on December 17 for printing out an online article and sharing it with security guards at the WFP warehouse where he was employed.
Less than 48 hours later, he was convicted of incitement under the new penal code and sentenced to six months jail.
Court and government officials, as well as Seng Kunnaka’s lawyer, have offered scant details on the content of the article. It is believed to have been posted on the news blog KI-Media, which often posts acerbic criticisms of the government.
Following Seng Kunnaka’s conviction, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan told The Post that the article had referred to Prime Minister Hun Sen and Var Kimhong, the senior minister in charge of border affairs, as “traitors”.
“They accused Hun Sen ... and Var Kimhong of treason and selling land to Vietnam,” he said.
He also said Seng Kunnaka distributed the article publicly.
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“This conviction reflects the harder line being taken by the government on online free expression,” the Paris-based group said in a statement released late on Monday.
“While not commenting on the content of the article, we point out that Seng [Kunnaka] did not distribute it publicly, which is punishable under Cambodia law. He just printed it in order to read it with two colleagues,” the group said.
Seng Kunnaka was arrested on December 17 for printing out an online article and sharing it with security guards at the WFP warehouse where he was employed.
Less than 48 hours later, he was convicted of incitement under the new penal code and sentenced to six months jail.
Court and government officials, as well as Seng Kunnaka’s lawyer, have offered scant details on the content of the article. It is believed to have been posted on the news blog KI-Media, which often posts acerbic criticisms of the government.
Following Seng Kunnaka’s conviction, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan told The Post that the article had referred to Prime Minister Hun Sen and Var Kimhong, the senior minister in charge of border affairs, as “traitors”.
“They accused Hun Sen ... and Var Kimhong of treason and selling land to Vietnam,” he said.
He also said Seng Kunnaka distributed the article publicly.
Please click here to read more...
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