Kandal (FN), Oct. 20 – Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen supported the court’s ruling to sentence convict Sam Rainsy to life imprisonment, speaking during a press conference after editing his date of birth information in voting list on Thursday (Oct 20) at Takhmau city, Kandal Province.

“I have no right to handover even a millimeter of [Cambodian] land to any foreign country. If I do so, it means that I also commit the same crime. Therefore, the court’s ruling was the right decision based on specific evidences,” the premier underscored.

Samdech added, “what is the actual purpose of this traitor [Sam Rainsy]? There is no death punishment in the kingdom. If there is, the court might impose it. Fortunately, we have only life imprisonment. Thus, I would like to urge all citizens to understand clearly about the traitor’s character, whom I called three-generation traitor”.

Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy admitted on 7 March 2018 in an interview with the Phnom Penh Post that in the United States in 2013, he had indeed signed an agreement with Kok Ksor, the Vietnamese leader of the Degar indigenous group, to cede four Cambodian provinces to the Montagnard group if the CNRP won the national elections in 2013. The four provinces include Stung Treng, Kratie, Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri.

On 19 October 2022, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court (PPMC) announced a verdict to sentence former leader of the opposition party Sam Rainsy to life imprisonment and revoke all his political rights such as the right to vote, right to stand for elections and other political rights.

Rainsy, 72, was charged with “handing over to foreign state all or part of the national territory” under Articles 27 and 440 of the Criminal Code.
=FRESH NEWS