Cambodian PM cancels one lawsuit against opposition

Litigation dropped after property dispute resolved

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen says a lawsuit against a senior advisor to the opposition Candlelight Party following alleged criticisms of the ruling party has been dropped after a settlement was reached in a property dispute.

Damages of US$500,000 were sought from Kong Korm for allegedly criticizing the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) after a Jan. 7 ceremony marking the end of Khmer Rouge rule in 1979.

Hun Sen also referred a dispute over the ownership of his family home to the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).

However, the prime minister canceled the lawsuit after Kong Korm agreed to vacate his home – where he has lived since his tenure as ambassador to Vietnam ended in 1984 – and return the property to the foreign affairs ministry.

“Kong Korm admitted that he was clumsy and did not understand the procedures for owning the property,” the semi-official Fresh News said in a dispatch, citing a letter from Kong Korm to the head of the ACU, Om Yentieng.

“Kong Korm thanked the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Royal Government, in particular, Cambodian prime minister. Hun Sen. for understanding his clumsiness,” the letter added.

An additional lawsuit, demanding $1 million in damages, was also filed by the foreign affairs ministry, asking the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to clarify ownership of the land.

Kong Korm is a former CPP member but he switched allegiances after completing his posting to Vietnam.

Human rights groups have accused the CPP of using the courts to silence government critics ahead of national elections scheduled for mid-July, including mass trials launched against more than 100 people connected to the outlawed Cambodian National Rescue party (CNRP).

According to “World Report 2023” by Human Rights Watch, Cambodian authorities have targeted dozens of union leaders, activists, and opposition politicians and members for harassment, arbitrary arrest, and prosecution.

“Cambodian authorities eroded what remains of democratic freedoms in the country by harassing, threatening, and prosecuting opposition politicians and activists, notably local leaders and members of the opposition Candlelight Party on spurious criminal changes,” it said.

The Candlelight Party was formed out of the remnants of the CNRP.

Last year the CPP successfully sued Son Chhay, a Candlelight Party vice president, for $1 million after he criticized the results of commune elections when his party won about 22 percent of the popular vote.

But the length and breadth of the crackdown have impacted on all levels of society.

In a separate report, the Khmer Times said “a drunk” who criticized Hun Sen while drinking with friends has been forced to apologize and give a written undertaking not to repeat the offense.

It said friends of Sem Sopheap, a 45-year-old motorbike repairman, had reported his criticisms to the police and he “was then made to sign a contract, withdrawing his remarks and undertaking not to insult the PM again, as well as making a confession and apology on video”.

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