All the News Without Fear or Favor The daily Volume 64 Issue 53 Thursday, May 19, 2016 2,000 riel/50 cents Black Monday Intimidation Moves Beyond By Ben sOkheAn The government’s crackdown on activists calling for the release of po- litical prisoners has spread outside of the capital as Preah Vihear provin- cial authorities yesterday warned representatives of 10 NGOs to cease holding “Black Monday” protests or face repercussions. The warnings came after four vil- lagers were called for questioning in Mondolkiri province last week after a picture was posted to a com- munity Facebook page of villagers holding banners calling for the re- lease of four recently jailed rights activists and an elections official. Ang Cheatlom, executive direc- tor of the Preah Vihear-based NGO Reuters Ponlok Khmer, said his staffers Prime Minister takes part in a traditional bread and salt ceremony as he arrives to take part in a Russia-Asean summit at Sochi International Airport, Russia, yesterday. (Story page 4) were called in along with nine other NGOs and formally warned by dep - uty provincial governor Sok Hai yesterday morning over a photo- CNRP’s Elections Appointee to Go on Trial graph that was posted to Facebook By kuch nAren The CPP and CNRP each chose had decided to “send this case file to of about 20 land rights activists par- And Alex Willemyns four members and agreed on one trial.” It did not say when the trial ticipating in the “Black Monday” the cambodIa daIly “neutral” member under the land- would start. campaign, holding up paper signs One of the opposition’s four ap- mark July 2014 political deal. Court director Taing Sunlay said while wearing black. pointees to the board of the Nation- Mr. Chhun was charged in Sep- yesterday he was not aware of the “My staff joined the meeting this al Election Committee (NEC) will tember 2014 with “intentional vio- letter received by Mr. Chhun. How- morning and reported to me that be put on trial over criminal charges lence” over the nationwide strike of ever, asked if such a letter would the provincial authorities threat- of “intentional violence,” according garment workers that was violently mean the case was going to trial, he ened that if any NGOs still contin- to a letter obtained yesterday. repressed by the government earli- said: “Yes.” ue the campaign to wear black Rong Chhun, a union leader, er that year. Yesterday, he received Judge Sunlay referred questions they will take action, but they did notification of a coming trial. to the case’s investigating judge, not clarify what kind of action they was selected by the CNRP to be- In a letter dated April 26, Phnom Judge Sophat, who could not be would take,” Mr. Cheatlom said. come one of the nine board mem- reached. Authorities also shut down a bers of the election body after its Penh Municipal Court Investigat- establishment in April 2015. ing Judge San Sophat said the court Continued on page 2 Continued on page 6 CPP Newspaper Pens Article on Piseth Pilika By Alex Willemyns Sen’s daughter, Hun Mana, ac- er stars besides Piseth Pilika, who And sek OdOm cording to a local media watchdog, it incorrectly stated were also mur- the cambodIa daIly posted the scathing article at the dered. The other stars were, in fact, A CPP-aligned newspaper yes- top of its website with a photo of maimed by acid or paralyzed by terday published and then quickly Piseth Pilika at 11:40 a.m. but delet- bullets shot at their necks, in cases deleted an online article asking ed it by 11:49 a.m. also believed to be linked to affairs why there had never been arrests The article was headlined “Up Un- with high-ranking officials. in the murders of starlets including til Now, It’s Been Quiet Like a Thief “They say that when it comes to Piseth Pilika—an alleged mistress Stealing a Horse When It Comes to the brutal murders of four Cambo- of Prime Minister Hun Sen who a the Murders of Four Cam bodian dian stars in the past—the singer Russian Fugitive to Be report in 1999 claimed was killed Stars,” and written by Entry Tep—or Touch Sreynich, the performer Tat Deported Pending Appeal on his wife’s orders. “Magic Eagle.” The newspaper of- Marina, the performer Piseth Pili- Page 4 The Kampuchea Thmey Daily, ten uses pseudonyms on its articles. ka, and the singer Pov Panhapic— cambodiadaily.com which is directed by Mr. Hun It also noted attacks on three oth- Continued on page 8

មានដំណឹងបែែសមែួលជាភាសាខ្មែរនៅខាងក្នុង The Daily Newspaper of Record Since 1993 2 The Cambodia daily thURSday, may 19, 2016 ANd AlSo NEWSMAKERS Clinginess to a Criminal Degree n LOS ANGELES - A woman who has accused Bill cOsBy of drugging and ReUteRS accused her husband of having an af- molesting her at a Playboy Mansion party in 2008, when she was a minor, A woman was fined and ordered fair. She admitted she had accessed has filed a second lawsuit accusing Playboy founder hugh hefnerof con- deported from the United Arab Emi- his phone without his per mission spiring in the assault. Chloe Goins, one of dozens of women to make al- rates for breaching her husband’s and transferred photographs to her legations against Cosby, 78, claimed in her Los Angeles Superior Court privacy by checking his mobile device, the lawyer added. lawsuit that Hefner was liable because he hosted the party and suggested phone to see if he was cheating on The husband lodged a com- she and a friend have drinks with the comic. A spokesman for Cosby de- her, Gulf News reported yesterday. plaint with the court, which con- clined to comment and representatives for Hefner, 90, could not be The unnamed Arab expatriate victed her last Thursday under a reached. In October 2015, Goins, who has said she was 17 at the time of was fined $40,843 by the criminal cybercrime law that penalizes “the the alleged assault, sued Cosby, claiming “childhood sexual abuse” and seeking more than $75,000 in damages. The New York Daily News re- court in the emirate of Ajman, the invasion of privacy of another per- ported that Goins, now 26, withdrew that case in February as she pre- English-language newspaper said. son” using information technolo- pared to file the new action naming Hefner. (Reuters) Her lawyer told the paper she had gy, the paper said.

any state authorities. That is clear,” Elections... he said. “I don’t believe they will re- “Ny Chakrya has already been arrested, and now activate this. If they do, it’s a real cOntinued frOm PAge 1 concern—it will affect the inde- Rong Chhun. This is very concerning and could Mr. Chhun said he had received pendence of the NEC and free and affect free and fair elections.” the letter yesterday and that the fair elections.” case was related to his past charges CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann —yim sOvAnn over the nationwide strike of gar- noted that the body’s deputy secre- cnrP sPOkesmAn ment workers, but reiterated previ- tary-general was already jailed last ous claims that he had done noth- month and said he was concerned “It is separate from us. As it is a movement, faces up to 14 years in ing wrong. that independent minds on the separate and independent institu- prison if found guilty, but the case “It’s the old case file, in which NEC were being targeted. The tion, any individual in this institu- had seemed to be lying dormant there was a complainant who filed a NEC’s chairman and secretary- tion committing any criminal of- until Mr. Chhun’s letter. complaint against me for leading general are both CPP stalwarts. fense that is against the law on the The charged union leaders have the workers to demand a $160 min- “My comment is that Rong organization and functioning of the denied promoting or taking part in imum wage back in 2013 and 2014,” Chhun did nothing wrong,” he said. NEC, that individual must be re- any violence during the nation- Mr. Chhun said by telephone. “He has served the country and the sponsible before the law.” wide strike, which was repressed “Of course, when I was ques- interests of the workers, and now The charges laid against Mr. by the government on January 2 tioned at that time, they linked me he is a member of the NEC, the in- Chhun related to the 2013 and and 3, 2014, when military police to the case [of violence at a work- stitution that organizes elections.” 2014 nationwide strike of garment killed at least five striking workers ers’ strike], but I had no presence “Ny Chakrya has already been workers, which saw the industry and shot dozens more. there at that time,” he added. arrested, and now Rong Chhun. shut itself down as workers de- The government has recently Mr. Chhun said he could not say This is very concerning and could manded a monthly minimum ramped up its pursuit of critics and whether he was being targeted affect free and fair elections,” Mr. wage of $160 instead of the $95 the opposition figures, jailing an opposi- now because of his key role in the Sovann said. government decided. tion lawmaker, four rights monitors new election committee. CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said Mr. Chhun was at the time the and an NEC official last month, as Committee for Free and Fair he was not concerned a trial against head of the Cambodian Confeder- well as pursuing a U.N. official with Elections director Koul Panha said Mr. Chhun would be seen as a po- ation of Unions, and was charged criminal charges and a political ana- he hoped the court would decide to litically motivated move that would in 2014 with intentional violence, lyst with accusations of defamation. throw out the case against Mr. infringe upon the July 2014 political intentional damage, threatening to Prime Minister Hun Sen also Chhun. deal or the NEC’s independence. cause damage and blocking traffic. threatened last week to take legal “I hope the court is going to “It is not involved with political is- He was charged alongside fel- action against newspapers that close his case,” Mr. Panha said, sues, or the relationship of the two low union leaders Ath Thorn, “distort” his words. A senior For- adding that the revised NEC law parties, because it is out of our Yaing So phorn, Morn Nhim, Pav eign Ministry official told diplo- explicitly states that members can- hands since the NEC was approved Sina and Chea Mony. Each of mats on May 5 that the arrest of so not be harassed. by the National Assembly to be an these leaders, who constitute five many CPP critics was necessary to “They cannot be harassed by independent institution,” he said. of the biggest names in the labor maintain social order.

------International Brief ------National Brief ------Around 150 Feared Buried in Sri Lanka Landslides Summoned for Third Time This Month COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Around 150 people are feared dead after more than Deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha was yesterday summoned— three days of heavy rain triggered two landslides in central Sri Lanka, dis- once again—to appear at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, this time aster officials said yesterday as rescuers stopped work after recovering next Thursday morning over a “prostitution” case involving an alleged more than a dozen bodies. Torrential rains have forced more than 223,000 mistress. Deputy court prosecutor Sieng Sok, who summoned Mr. people from their homes across the country. Seventeen bodies have been Sokha, said that he could not yet say what would happen if the deputy op- recovered, bringing the official death toll to 37, although that figure is likely position leader does not show up to court next week, as is widely expect- to rise sharply. Rescue efforts have focused on the town of Aranayaka, 100 ed. “I will consider the next procedures,” he said. Mr. Sokha has twice km northeast of the capital, Colombo, where three villages were buried failed to show up for questioning at the court in the past week, and he has late on Tuesday in the central district of Kegalle. More than 350 people been threatened with arrest by Anti-Corruption Unit Chairman Om Yen- were plucked to safety during rescue operations in landslide-affected areas tieng if he continues to defy the orders. Mr. Sokha says the government’s early yesterday, officials said. A Red Cross official at the Aranayaka land- legal campaign against him over an alleged mistress is politically motivated, slide site said earlier it was feared the death toll would be “around 300 to and has otherwise declined to comment on it. The opposition party says 400.” Police said another landslide at Bulathkopitiya, also in Kegalle dis- that his immunity from prosecution as a lawmaker means he cannot be trict, had buried at least 16 people. In Kegalle district alone, 20 people were summoned, but court authorities have said that does not prevent him killed, disaster management center data showed. (Reuters) from being questioned. (Kuch Naren)