Sam Rainsy: Ho Vann must get back his parliamentary immunity automatically

kang

30 September 2009
Source: Khmer Stapana newspaper
Reported in English by Khmerization
Click here to read the aritcle in Khmer

Legal experts and opposition politicians said that the Phnom Penh Court should, through Ministry of Justice, send a request to the National Assembly to reinstate Mr. Ho Vann's parliamentary immunity after it dropped all defamation charges against him.

Mr. Sam Rainsy, leader of the eponymous Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), said by a telephone interview that the SRP will not write a letter to the National Assembly to request for it to give back Mr. Ho Vann's immunity by saying that by laws Mr. Ho Vann should automatically get his immunity back after the court dropped all charges against him.

Mr. Ho Vann was sued by 22 military officers after he criticised their qualifications awarded by the Vietnamese Military Institute. On 22nd June, the National Assembly stripped him off his parliamentary immunity and he fled to the United States.

A week ago, the court dropped all charges against him after international pressures and after U.S Secretary of Defence Robert Gates raised the issue with Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh during their meeting in Washington DC a week ago.