Hor Namhong vs. Sam RainsyReported in English By Khmerization
Mr. Sam Rainsy, the leader of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), continues to defend a defamation lawsuit brought against him by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong by continuing to gather further evidences of Mr. Hor Namhong's involvements in the Khmer Rouge crimes, reports Radio Free Asia.
Mr. Rainsy said he and his lawyers will continue to gather more evidences against Mr. Namhong for the appeal hearing scheduled for March, 2010.
Mr. Sam Rainsy was found guilty of defaming Mr. Namhong by the French court earlier this year, but he lodged an appeal against the verdict. The appeal hearing was scheduled to be held on 8th October, but Mr. Rainsy requested for a delay.
He said the delay gives him ample opportunity to gather more evidences against Mr. Namhong. "The (Appeal) Court was still considering about the delay and suddenly there is information from Phnom Penh that an international judge (at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) summoned 6 leaders of the current regime. Mr. Namhong was among the 6 people summoned because he knew a lot in relations to the Khmer Rouge leadership", Mr. Rainsy said.
Mr. Hor Namhong told reporters on 17th that Mr. Sam Rainsy had used fake medical certificate to request a judge for the hearing delay. "Mr. Sam Rainsy had requested a judge to delay the hearing by presenting a fake medical certificate. This shows that he is afraid (of losing). For the new evidences, I am not concerned one iota because there is none. I wish to say that freedom of speech is different from defamation. He had accused me of being a criminal", he said.
Mr. Hor Namhong told Radio Free Asia that Sam Rainsy knew full well that he was not a Khmer Rouge leader. "I never knew (the Khmer Rouge), never heard and was never involved at all with the Khmer Rouge. Mr. Sam Rainsy knew full well that I was a diplomat", he said.
The defamation lawsuit stemmed from Mr. Sam Rainsy's public speech made on 17th March 2008 in which he accused an unnamed "current foreign minister" of being a chief of the Boeng Trabek Re-Education Camp where hundreds of inmates were later brought to be executed at Tuol Sleng Torture Centre from 1975-1979.
Mr. Rainsy said he and his lawyers will continue to gather more evidences against Mr. Namhong for the appeal hearing scheduled for March, 2010.
Mr. Sam Rainsy was found guilty of defaming Mr. Namhong by the French court earlier this year, but he lodged an appeal against the verdict. The appeal hearing was scheduled to be held on 8th October, but Mr. Rainsy requested for a delay.
He said the delay gives him ample opportunity to gather more evidences against Mr. Namhong. "The (Appeal) Court was still considering about the delay and suddenly there is information from Phnom Penh that an international judge (at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal) summoned 6 leaders of the current regime. Mr. Namhong was among the 6 people summoned because he knew a lot in relations to the Khmer Rouge leadership", Mr. Rainsy said.
Mr. Hor Namhong told reporters on 17th that Mr. Sam Rainsy had used fake medical certificate to request a judge for the hearing delay. "Mr. Sam Rainsy had requested a judge to delay the hearing by presenting a fake medical certificate. This shows that he is afraid (of losing). For the new evidences, I am not concerned one iota because there is none. I wish to say that freedom of speech is different from defamation. He had accused me of being a criminal", he said.
Mr. Hor Namhong told Radio Free Asia that Sam Rainsy knew full well that he was not a Khmer Rouge leader. "I never knew (the Khmer Rouge), never heard and was never involved at all with the Khmer Rouge. Mr. Sam Rainsy knew full well that I was a diplomat", he said.
The defamation lawsuit stemmed from Mr. Sam Rainsy's public speech made on 17th March 2008 in which he accused an unnamed "current foreign minister" of being a chief of the Boeng Trabek Re-Education Camp where hundreds of inmates were later brought to be executed at Tuol Sleng Torture Centre from 1975-1979.
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