Kem Sokha in dock for 55th time, claims to be man of non-violence
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
While standing trial at Phnom Penh Court for the 55th time at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, the former Cambodian National Rescued Party (CNRP) Kem Sokha yesterday cried for justice and claimed he is man of non-violence who stands for national reconciliation.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday continued Sokha’s hearing in connection with allegedly conspiring with foreign states and other foreign agents in order to overthrow the Cambodian government between 1993 and 2017.
Sokha alleged that prosecutors and judges’ council of the court are questioning him repeatedly because they enough inculpatory evidence to link him with the activities of Sam Rainsy, Ho Vann and Mua Sochua, the top leaders of the court-dissolved CNRP.
“I am a person who always adheres to non-violence and national reconciliation. While I am not praised or encouraged, the arrogant and abusive people are getting encouragement. I deserve justice,” he told court.
At yesterday’s hearing, both the prosecutors and judges’
council asked Sokha about his role in the violent protests led by Ho
Vann, the former steering committee chief of CNRP, in Stung Meanchey commune
and the Veng Sreng Street on January 1-3, 2014; violent
demonstration led by Mua Sochua, the former vice-president of CNRP to damage seven
Chinese-owned-garment factories’ properties at the Canadia Park area in
Porsenchey district’s Chom Chao commune on January 2-4 2014; and
another violent demonstration led by Sam Rainsy to damage a big
Chinese-owned-garment factory in Svay Rieng province’s Bavet city in the
end of December 2012.
They also asked Sokha about his connection with another mass blockade that took place in front of a Japanese-bridge named “KIZONA” in Kampong Cham province on National Road Number 6 in 2013.
A video showed Sokha participating in the demonstration and addressing the protesters by standing on his Toyota Land Cruiser Car at that time.
Sokha who lost his cool at this juncture told court to ask Sam Rainsy, Ho Vann or Mua Sochua directly about that because he did not know about those incidents.
“I would like to express again and again that the violent demonstrations that took place in Stung Meanchey at the Veng Sreng Street or in Chom Chao commune in early 2014 did not relate with me at all, and it was not my responsibility too,” Sokha stressed.
“Whatever happened those days against the government it was Rainsy’s activities and his own saying, I have no role in it,” he said.
Sokha said that liking him to Sam Rainsy’s activities or his saying (political messages) or Ho Vann or Mua Sochua’s activities seems the court’s intention to deny him justice.
Deputy Prosecutor Plong Sophal said that Sokha’s denial was an intention to cover up his involvement and responsibilities.
“Although the accused Kem Sokha continues to refuse to answer the questions and deny his link in the violent demonstrations led by the other accused, the prosecutors still have enough inculpatory evidences to prove that he had prepared a plot to create a kind of revolution in Cambodia,” he said.
Sophal added that Sokha’s hard evidence was a clip of his video that he had confessed everything about his plan in 2013 in Australia that he was following orders from the US to overthrow the Cambodian government just like the way it was achieved in the former Yugoslavia.
He added that other hard evidence was Sokha’s activities
in participating in other violent protests and inciting protesters to go
against the authorities in order to overthrow the government between 2013 and
2014.
Kem Sokha, 69, was charged with ‘Conspiracy with Foreign Power’ under
article 443 of the Criminal Code.
If convicted, he will face 15 to 30 years in prison. Sokha was arrested on
September 3, 2017.
The trial will resume on September 14.
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