25-7-2024 (PHNOM PENH)Â A court in the capital has fined an opposition leader a staggering US$1.5 million for defaming the ruling party. The ruling, handed down on Thursday, stems from comments made by Candlelight Party leader Teav Vannol in a February interview with foreign media, where he claimed that democracy had regressed since the former prime minister’s son, Hun Manet, took power last year.
Hun Manet assumed the premiership in 2023 after his father, Hun Sen, stepped down following nearly four decades of iron-fisted rule. The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) election landslide that paved the way for Hun Manet’s ascension to power was widely denounced as a sham, with the main challenger, the Candlelight Party, barred from participating.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Vannol guilty of public defamation and ordered him to pay six billion riels (around US$1.5 million) to the plaintiff, the CPP. Additionally, he was ordered to pay 10 million riels (US$2,400) to the state. Vannol, who was abroad and not present at the ruling, was represented by his lawyer, Choung Choungy, who expressed disappointment with the verdict and stated that his client had merely been expressing his opinion.
Choungy indicated that they would discuss whether to appeal the ruling, which has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and advocates of free speech. The hefty fine imposed on Vannol is seen as a clear attempt to silence dissent and stifle criticism of the ruling party, undermining the principles of democracy and free expression.
This is not the first time that members of the Candlelight Party have faced legal repercussions for their criticism of the government. In 2022, the party’s deputy leader, Son Chhay, was found guilty of defamation for claiming that the election commission was biased in favor of the ruling CPP. He was ordered to pay US$750,000 in compensation to the ruling party and a US$4,250 fine to the state.
