All the News Without Fear or Favor The Cambodia daily Volume 66 Issue 27 Tuesday, December 6, 2016 2,000 riel/50 cents US Gov’t Rules Against North Dakota Oil Pipeline reuTerS CANNoNbALL, North Dakota - Thou- sands of protesters in North Dako- ta celebrated after the federal gov- ernment ruled against a controver- sial pipeline project on Sunday, even though many recognized that the fight is likely to continue into next year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engi- neers said it rejected an application to allow the Dakota Access Pipe - line to tunnel under Lake oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River. The decision came after months of protests from Native Americans and climate activists, who argued Siv Channa/The Cambodia Daily that the 1,885 km Dakota Access Seang Chet is escorted from the Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday after being sentenced to five years Pipeline would damage sacred in prison over bribery charges relating to CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha's 'prostitution' case. He is holding lands and could contaminate the up seven fingers to represent the CNRP's position on the 2013 national election ballot. tribe’s water source. The mood has been upbeat since the rejection was announced Five-Year Sentence for Chief in Sokha Case on Sunday afternoon at the oceti Sakowin camp in Cannon ball, By ouCh Sony case when he gave her mother 2 manicurist, initially denied having North Dakota. Activists were seen The CamboDIa DaIly million riel, or about $500, at the an affair with Mr. Sokha under po- hugging and letting out war cries Undeterred by Kem Sokha’s family’s home in Kompong Cham lice questioning, but then admitted in response to the news. royal pardon on Friday, the province’s Kompong Siem district. to the affair when questioned in Still, with the incoming adminis- Phnom Penh Municipal Court Mr. Chet has maintained that he court, according to officials. tration of President-elect Donald yesterday sentenced a CNRP com- was simply handing over money The case—widely seen as a polit- Trump supportive of the project, mune chief to five years in prison collected by Cambodians in New ical attack on the opposition—has activists worried a reversal of the for bribery relating to the deputy Zealand who had sympathized rolled on despite its primary target, decision could be in the offing. opposition leader’s “prostitution” with the plight of Ms. Chan- Mr. Sokha, being pardoned of his “This is a temporary celebration. case. daraty’s family, and was not at- prison sentence at the request of I think this is just a rest,” said Char- Seang Chet was accused of brib- tempting to alter her answers un- Prime Minister Hun Sen last week. lotte bad Cob, 30, from the Pine ing Mr. Sokha’s alleged mistress, der questioning by officials. Yesterday, Presiding Judge Kor Continued on page 2 Khom Chandaraty, to lie about the Ms. Chandaraty, a 25-year-old Continued on page 2 With Sokha Pardon, What’s in It for Hun Sen? By Colin Meyn lent act, analysts found it hard to Human rights group Licadho The CamboDIa DaIly believe. places the number of political pris- If his opponents have learned “Unless Hun Sen is all of a sud- oners in the country at 27, includ- anything in the past two decades, den getting softer after a little more ing an opposition commune chief it’s that Prime Minister than three decades in power, there convicted yesterday, while opposi- News Analysis Hun Sen does not do fa- is undoubtedly a political motive tion leader Sam Rainsy is both vors. He makes deals, behind the pardoning,” said Lee wanted for arrest and banned from breaks deals and plays chess. Morgenbesser, who recently au- entering the country. So when both the ruling party thored a book on authoritarian Mr. Morgenbesser said that Mr. and Mr. Sokha himself said that democracies in Southeast Asia. Sokha’s release was necessary to PM Rips Into US Ambassador Mr. Hun Sen’s request to pardon “If he was open to such overtures, give legitimacy to commune elec- At New Factory Opening the acting CNRP president—car- in fact, the various appeals to release tions to be held in about six Page 3 ried out by the king in a decree Cambodia’s political prisoners months, but that the CPP surely cambodiadaily.com signed on Friday—was a benevo- would have had the same effect.” Continued on page 9 មានដំណឹងបែែសមែួលជាភាសាខ្មែរនៅខាងក្នុង The Daily Newspaper of Record Since 1993 2 The Cambodia daily TueSDay, DeCember 6, 2016 ANd AlSo NEWSMAKERS City’s ‘Black Monday’ Blooper nNobel literature laureate BoB dylan will provide a speech and fellow American singer-songwriter patti SMith will perform one of his best- When a group of about 30 people different reason than those calling known songs in his absence during Stockholm’s prize celebrations, the gathered in black shirts outside the for the release of jailed activists. awards body said yesterday. Smith will perform “A Hard Rain’s A- Kantha bopha Children’s Hospital “This morning our authorities Gonna Fall” at the Nobel banquet on December 10 while Dylan’s yesterday morning, Daun Penh dis- went to meet with a group who were speech would also be read out at the event, the Nobel Prize organizers trict authorities were ready to wearing black shirts because we said on Twitter. Dylan said in the wake of being awarded the $870,000 pounce on yet another “black Mon- needed to find out why,” said district prize that he would accept the award, but that he would not attend the day” protest. governor Kouch Chamroeun, add - ceremony in Stockholm. Local news agency TT said the speech would but upon confronting them, they ing that they turned out to be a mix be read by Swedish Academy member Horace Engdahl. other Nobel realized the crew was organized by a of Cambodian and Thai volunteers. Prize winners who have not attended the prize ceremony include the Thai-funded charity handing out “They were wearing black, they told U.K.’s playwright and screenwriter harold pinter and Austrian play- food to those waiting outside the hos- us, because they are mourning for wright and novelist elfriede jelinek. (Reuters) pital, and dressed in black for a very the Thai king.” (Sek Odom) based Energy Transfer Partners, treaty lands, we must strive to day they did not intend to reroute the Pipeline... is complete except for a kilometer work together to reach decisions line, calling the obama adminstra- segment to run under Lake oahe. that reflect the multifaceted con- tion’s decision a “political action.” Continued froM page 1 That stretch required an easement siderations of tribes,” he said. Last month, ETP moved equip - Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. from federal authorities. Trump has yet to react to Sun- ment to the edge of the Missouri “With a new government it could The U.S. Army Corps of Engi- day’s decision. He could direct au- River to prepare for drilling, and lat- turn and we could be at it again.” neers said it would analyze possi- thorities to approve the line, even if er asked a federal court to disre- The camp’s numbers have ble alternate routes, although any before he takes over from Demo- gard the Army Corps, and declare swelled in recent days, as hundreds other route is also likely to cross cratic President barack obama on that the company could finish the of U.S. veterans have flocked to the Missouri River. January 20 federal authorities will line. That ruling is still pending. North Dakota in support of the pro- Standing Rock chairman Dave be studying alternative routes. Several veterans recently ar- testers. Some of those in a long line Archambault II said he hoped ETP, Tom Goldtooth, a co-founder of rived in the camp told reporters of traffic along Highway 1806 head- North Dakota governor Jack Dal- Indigenous Environmental Net- they thought Sunday’s decision, ing into the camp hollered and rymple and Trump would respect work, said he expected Trump to try which came just as oceti Sakowin honked their horns after the news the decision. “When it comes to in- to reverse the decision. “I think we’re has seen an influx of service mem- was announced. frastructure development in Indi- going to be in this for the long haul.” bers, was a tactic to convince pro- The pipeline, owned by Texas- an Country and with respect to Energy Transfer said late on Sun- testers to leave. wife, said she had expected her Mao Monyvann, the CNRP law- May to avoid arrest in the case. Chief... husband to be released. maker who gave the money to Mr. Audio recordings posted anony- “It was a shock,” Ms. Sokhoeun Chet to deliver to Ms. Chanda - mously to Facebook supposedly Continued froM page 1 said. “It is not appropriate and the raty’s mother, was circumspect showed him engaging in overtly Vandy gave no explanation of the court should release him. There’s no when asked if the party would take sexual conversations with Ms. verdict as he handed the prison evidence to inculpate my husband.” action to secure Mr. Chet’s release Chandaraty. Seizing on offers of sentence to Mr. Chet, the chief of She said she wanted to see her from prison. gifts made to the alleged mistress, Kompong Siem district’s Srak husband absolved just as Mr. Kem “We don’t want to make more anti-terrorism police and the courts commune.