Sokha’s Hearing Resumes with Video Clip Evidence Played

 


Buth Reaksmey Kongkea 

Phnom Penh Municipal Court on January 25, 2022 continued playing a video clip involving former Cambodian National Rescued Party (CNRP) president Kem Sokha as it resumed hearing his treason trial. 

Sokha, 67, is accused of conspiracy and having secret agreement with a foreign [US] state or its agents with a view to fomenting hostilities or acts of aggression against the Kingdom of Cambodia committed in Cambodian territory and other places between 1993 and 2017. 

Presiding Judge Koy Sao said that in this case, the accused was charged with “Conspiracy with Foreign Power” under article 443 of criminal code. 

Judge Sao said that Sokha was arrested on September 3, 2017. 

He added that the arrest followed a video clip in which he allegedly confessed in 2013 in Australia that he was following orders from the US to overthrow the Cambodian government through a colour revolution. 

During the hearing, the judges’ council continued playing a portion of the clip which showed Sokha saying he was following the orders of the US. 

It also played other seven short clips of the accused saying that he had led and participated in crowded demonstrations at the freedom parks in Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham province between December 2013 and January 2014.    

Deputy Prosecutor Chhay Hong said that the seven clips showed Sokha participating in and leading mass demonstrations to overthrow the government between 2013 and 2014. 

Hong said that clips had been made during a trip made by Sokha to meet with supporters in Australia and they revealed that the plot was funded by foreigners and the accused had a secret agreement with a foreign [US] state or its agents to go against the government in 2013.

He added that the seven video clips provided strong and additional evidence against Sokha on his charge of “Conspiracy with Foreign Power”. 

“The video clip filmed by Australia’s CBN TV s saying that he was following orders from the US to overthrow the Cambodian government just like the way it was done in the former Yugoslavia,” said Hong. 

“These seven video clips have clearly shown and confirm that with financial support from the US, the accused Kem Sokha incited the people, garment workers, civil servants and the armed forces to go against and overthrow the government,” he added. 

Hong noted that one clip showed a violent demonstration.

“This was a demonstration of violence and anarchy, and not a non-violent demonstration as he (Sokha) claimed,” he added..

One of Sokha’s lawyers Ang Oudom said that his client’s case is the political motivated, so it should be solved via a political mechanism; not the court system. 

Oudom said that the seven video clips played in the court hearing were old ones. His client was addressing the protesters and criticized alleged wrongdoings in the government in his capacity as an opposition politician. 

Oudom suggested the court to drop his client’s charge and give full freedom to Sokha. 

“It not only the ordinary people, foreign diplomats or  others in the world who are saying the case politically motivated. The prosecutors themselves know it is politically motivated but they are still continuing it,” he said. 

Oudom urged the court to speed up his client’s case so that Sokha can receive his full freedom to participate in politics. 

The hearing will continue on February 2.



 

 

 

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