Interview With Mr. Sean Pengse on Mam Sonando's Arrest
Interrview with Mr. Sean Pengse on Mr. Mam Sonando's arrest
Phnom Penh authorities arrested Mr. Mam Sonando, director of Beehive FM 105 MGH station Tuesday morning and put him in Prey Sar prison on charges of defaming the government. Mr. Mam interviewed Mr. Sean Pengse, director of France-based Committee on Border Issues about the Supplemental Border Treaty to 1985 Border Treaty which Prime Minister Hun Sen signed on Monday with Vietnam. Mr. Mam just asked some questions about the 1979, 1982,1983,1985 treaties and Mr. Sean just answered these questions. Mr. Sean says that he is very surprised by the action and does not understand how and why the government can arrest Mr. Mam on such charges. He says that Mr. Mam does not defame the government and only talks about these treaties. He also says that in a way he is not surprised because Cambodia is a dictatorship. Mr. Sean says that he answered Mr. Mam's questions based on documents in his possession. According Mr. Sean Pengse, the so-called benefits which Mr. Hun Sen referred to before his visit to Hanoi on Monday October 10, are minimal compared to the huge benefits which Vietnam will get after the signing. Mr. Hun Sen used the talking points in the treaties with Vietnam which the 1991 Paris Agreement annuled because they were related to Cambodia's integrity. Mr. Hun Sen did not annul those treaties, because he has a good relationship with Hanoi and let Cambodia-Vietnam Coalition Committee discuss about those treaties. Mr. Hun Sen knew that his signing of this controversial treaty is illegal and in violation of the 1991 Paris Agreement which abolished all of the above treaties. Mr. Sean says that Mr.Hun Sen threatens to file a suit against him to the French or Cambodian courts, because he charges that Mr. Hun Sen sold Cambodia territory to Vietnam. Mr. Sean is happy that Mr. Hun Sen gave him such opportunity to tell the Cambodian people and the international community that Mr. Hun Sen did not implement the constitution. He said that this way he is able to point out Mr.Hun Sen's mistake. He told VOA Khmer Service that he took along a 200,000 format map based on a 100,000 format map which is in the Constitution, to Peking, for a talk on border issues, but Mr. Hun Sen's side talked so long and only on water usage issue, etc... Mr. Sean adds that if Vietnam loses in such treaty, it would have not signed it, and it is Cambodia which stands to lose her territories and two islands to Vietnam.