Courts Seek to Pull Opposition Immunity
A court prosecutor said in a letter to the National Assembly Monday he had enough evidence to pursue charges of defamation against Sam 
The National Assembly is not likely to meet in an emergencysession following a request issued by Phnom Penh Municipal Court that oppositionleader Sam Rainsy have his parliamentary immunity suspended, a lawmaker saidWednesday. The National Assembly also has not yet received the request,said Nguon Nhel, first vice president of the parliamentary body. The Sam Rainsy Party late Tuesday issued a copy of a letter fromPhnom Penh Municipal Court deputy prosecutor E Chheng Huot, addressed toNational Assembly President Heng Samrin through Justice Minister Ang VongVattana. The letter, dated June 16, requests the temporary suspensionof the parliamentary immunity of opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is facing adefamation and disinformation suit. "I am not concerned about the arrest at all," SamRainsy said Wednesday. An arrest by the ruling Cambodian People's Party would mean aloss of popularity for the CPP, he said. The court has been investigating remarks made at an April 18rally by Sam Rainsy implicating Foreign Minister Hor Namhong as a member of the KhmerRouge, and E Chheng Huot said in his letter he had gathered enough evidence tosuspect defamation. "The National Assembly is likely unable to convene atwo-thirds majority…to suspend Sam Rainsy's immunity, while the electioncampaign approaches, because many members of parliament have gone to theprovinces to meet the people," Nguon Nhel said. The move to strip Sam Rainsy of his immunity comes with thenational election little more than a month away and follows the recent arrestof opposition newspaper editor Dam Sith on similar charges. Police have also said they are opening an investigation intoallegations made by opposition defectors that members of the opposition havebeen involved in violent plots against the government. Sam Rainsy has called suchaccusations "unbelievable." The attempt to suspend Sam Rainsy's immunity met withcriticism from one US Embassy official and a rights worker. "We very much regret the legal controversy that has[come] on the eve of the election process," embassy spokesman Jeff Daiglesaid Wednesday. "We think it risks poisoning the open political atmospherethat is necessary for a fully democratic election process." Ouk Vireak, president of the Cambodian Centerfor Human Rights, called the request "a threat to Sam Rainsy, so that SamRainsy dare not speak freely." "This is also a message to other parties so that theydare not do what they want," he said.