Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday began the trial of two former-CNRP activists accused of insulting King Norodom Sihamoni and the Queen Mother via the Facebook post last year. Presiding judge Kol Kampoul identified the two men as Kong Bunheang, 66, and Hang Seng, 65, both former-CNRP activists living in Kampong Preah commune, in Battambang province’s Sangke district.

 

Judge Kampoul said that both were charged with “insulting the King” under Article 437 of the Criminal Code. If convicted, they will face one to five years in prison and a fine from about $500 to about $2,500. Sam Rithyveasna,  deputy prosecutor, said that on October 17 last year, when floods heavily damaged roads, villages and crops across several provinces, Bunheang and Seng posted on Facebook publicly criticising King Sihamoni and the Queen Mother saying: “They are useless people.”

 

Rithyveasna said that they also wrote that every time when the people were having problems or faced hunger or floods, the King and Queen Mother always left the country to stay abroad or in China. He said that they both further wrote that the King and the Queen Mother were not concerned about the Khmer people but only their reigns.

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50814871/trial-begins-for-duo-accused-of-lese-majeste/

The British monarchy has survived for centuries without the need for a lese majeste law. King Edward VII, as crown prince, decided it was useless pursuing even ordinary libel actions against journalists who published stories about his many affairs with society ladies and declared, “Publish and be damned.” Punch used to publish unflattering cartoons depicting the unpopular king George IV. 
 

Cambodia would do well to study the British model and let the public have its say.

Trial begins for duo accused of lese majeste, in Cambodia

 

lese majeste!  let me think! i've heard the same thing in  another country as well, but can't remember the country's name!

9 minutes ago, Pique Dard said:

Trial begins for duo accused of lese majeste, in Cambodia

 

lese majeste!  let me think! i've heard the same thing in  another country as well, but can't remember the country's name!

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