The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 523
“Phnom Penh: After being silent for a long time, [former] Cambodian King Samdech Norodom Sihanouk released a rare statement to set the time to meet with the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Public Affairs Officer and officials of the United Nations to discuss with them about Khmer Rouge issues and about himself.
“Samdech Euv [the Father King] released this statement on 30 August after Mr. Peter Foster had told a newspaper, ‘It depends on the prosecutors and judges of the tribunal to decide whom to call as witnesses and whom to charge. Preah Mohavirak Khsatr [the Great Heroic King] may be summoned to be a witness, but whether Preah Mohavirak Khsatr will appear or not is another question.’
“In the statement, which breaks the long silence, Samdech Euv said, ‘I invite Mr. Peter Foster and other members (volunteers) of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia [ECCC] who are at present in Phnom Penh to meet me on Saturday, 8 September 2007, in the Phochani Hall of the Royal Palace.’ He added, ‘Our “conversation” about Khmer Rouge issues and Norodom Sihanouk will last for three hours (starting from 9 o’clock in the morning until noon) at the maximum.’
“At the end of the announcement there is a Post Script, where Samdech Euv, 85, states that the date of the ‘conversation’ is fixed – 8 September 2007 – whether it will be accepted by the ECCC of the UN or not. If the UN does not accept the date and the time, he does not and will not accept to meet, talk, or correspond any more with the ECCC of the UN.
“Samdech Euv continued that after ‘this’ there will be no ‘need’ for him to meet with or to present himself to the ECCC of the UN.
“Samdech Euv also announced that a team of the TVK, the national television, will record this ‘conversation’ from the beginning to the end on DVDs; the DVDs can then be played in parks for the public in Phnom Penh, and after that for the public in all provinces.
“In the statement, Samdech Euv also expressed his gratitude and love to Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen who had opposed any intention of removing the immunity of Preah Moha Khsatr so that he would go to the Khmer Rouge tribunal.
“Mr. Reach Sambath, the Cambodian Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesperson, said that Mr. Peter Foster and international officials of the tribunal have already seen the text of Preah Mohavirak Khsatr. However, they did not make any comment.
“Mr. Reach Sambath could not make any comment either, whether Mr. Peter Foster and other officials of the Khmer Rouge tribunal of the UN will meet Preah Mohavirak Khsatr. He just said, ‘I normally do not make comments on the thinking of Preah Mohavirak Khsatr.’
“The discussion on the Khmer Rouge trial and Preah Mohavirak Khsatr is boiling, after an [almost unknown US based] organization had asked for the removal of the immunity of Preah Mohavirak Khsatr, so that he could testify in the Khmer Rouge tribunal. Nevertheless, the head of the Royal Government and political parties of Cambodia oppose such an intention.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4377, 31.8.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 31 August 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1432, 31.8.2007
- Samdech Euv [Father King] Asks to Meet Khmer Rouge Tribunal’s Spokesperson
- Samdech Hun Sen Goes to Attend 50th Independence Anniversary of Malaysia
- UN Provides $50,000 to Fight Dengue Fever in Cambodia
- Four Ministries [Health, Information, Commerce, and Industry] Join Together to Promote Baby Breast Feeding
- Pornographic Video Disks Invade Phnom Penh Markets as Officials of Ministry of Culture Are Asleep
Khmer Amatak, Vol.8, #510, 31.8.2007
- Samdech Krom Preah: Failure of Economic Policy of Cambodia Makes Khmers Beg in Thailand and Malaysia
Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.1, #15, 31.8-1.9.2007
- Nearly 2,000 Strike against [New Mingda] Factory Owner over Firing [two] Trade Union Representatives [Dangkao, Phnom Penh]
- Nearly Three Tonnes of Chemical Substances for Producing Drugs Destroyed in Second Stage in Traeng Trayueng [Phnom Sruoch, Kompong Speu]; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Official [Lars Pederson] Demands All Involved People to Be Punished
Khmer Mekong, Vol.5, #293, 31.8-2.9.2007
- Funcinpec Condemns Request for the Removal of the Immunity of Preah Mohavirak Khsatr [the Great Heroic King] Norodom Sihanouk
- Red Soil [Building Block] Villager Cruelly Handcuffed for Daring to Protest against 7NG Company [Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh – company Code of Conduct]
- Citizens Complain about Being Obliged to Learn for Motorcycle Driving Licenses
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6132, 31.8.2007
- Burning of Chemical Substances Finishes; Anti-Drug Officials Say Mr. Nhek Bun Chhay [Funcinpec Secretary-General] Is Not Involved [in drugs]
- Services of [Bavet, Svay Rieng-Phnom Penh] Helicopter Flights of Sokha Airline Inaugurated
- King [Mswati III] of Swaziland Orders [40,000] Virgins to Dance in Front of Him
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3251, 31.8.2007
- Pol Pot Once Called Samdech Norodom Sihanouk a Skinny Tiger That Would Die Soon [during Khmer Rouge Regime]
- Red Soil Citizens Use Knives and Axes to Conduct Land Revolution against Armed Forces of Kep Chuktema [Municipal Governor]
Rasmei Angkor, Vol.14, #1220, 31.8.2007
- Mr. Nhek Bun Chhay Takes Two Newspapers [Samleng Yuvachun Khmer and Khmer Amatak] to Court [for linking him to drugs]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4377, 31.8.2007
- [Former] King Sets Appointment to Meet UN Officials to Speak about Khmer Rouge Issues and about Himself
Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.14, #3126, 31.8.2007
- Confidential Documents of Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, and Ieng Sary on Plot to Kill Samdech Euv in Khmer Rouge Regime Revealed
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