PHNOM PENH - Pressure continues for a senior opposition party official to apologize for alleged remarks that has upset victims of the Khmer Rouge. Chhum Mey, an outspoken survivor of the regime’s infamous Tuol Sleng prison, told VOA Khmer Tuesday that he intends to sue Kem Sokha, vice president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, unless an apology is forthcoming for the latter’s alleged claims that the crimes of the prison were staged by Vietnamese forces after they ousted the Khmer Rouge. “Now I will wait for any response from Kem Sokha,” Chhum Mey said.

PHNOM PENH - Opposition officials say two forums organized by the party outside of Phnom Penh were interrupted by local ruling party supporters with a loudspeaker on Tuesday. At least 200 members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party showed up at the forums in Kandal province, interrupting public discussions held by the Cambodia National Rescue Party, opposition lawmaker Chan Cheng told VOA Khmer.

តុលាការ​ខេត្ត​ស្វាយរៀង នៅ​ព្រឹក​ថ្ងៃ​ទី​១២ ខែ​មិថុនា នេះ បើក​សវនាការ​ជំនុំ​ជម្រះ​ក្នុង​សំណុំ​រឿង​បាញ់​កម្មករ​រោងចក្រ​កៅវ៉េ (Kaoway) ៣​នាក់ អោយ​រង​របួស។ ជន​សង្ស័យ​ក្នុង​សំណុំ​រឿង​នេះ គឺ​អតីត​អភិបាល​ក្រុង​បាវិត លោក ឈូក បណ្ឌិត។ សវនាការ​​​ដែល​កំពុង​ដំណើរការ​នៅ​ព្រឹក​នេះ មាន​វត្តមាន​ជន​រងគ្រោះ សាក្សី សហជីព​កម្មករ មន្ត្រី​អង្គការ​សង្គម​ស៊ីវិល និង​តំណាង​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​បញ្ជា​ទិញ​ផលិតផល​រោងចក្រ​កៅវ៉េ មក​ពី​ប្រទេស​អាល្លឺម៉ង់ ប៉ុន្តែ​អវត្តមាន​ជន​ជាប់​ចោទ គឺ​លោក ឈូក បណ្ឌិត។

ខេត្ត​កំពង់​ឆ្នាំង​ ៖ មិន​ដឹង​ថា​នោះ​ជា​អំពើ​សង​សឹក​ ឬជា​កម្ម​ពៀរ​វេរា​នោះ​ទេ​ នៅ​ពេល​បុរស​ជា​ប្តី​ចំណាស់​អាយុ​៧០​ឆ្នាំត្រូវ​បាន​ចាប់​ខ្លួន​ដាក់​ពន្ធ​នាគារ​ពី​បទ​ចាប់​ក្មេង​ស្រី​អាយុ​១៤​ឆ្នាំ​រំលោភ​ ។ ស្រាប់​តែ​នៅ​យប់​ថ្ងៃ​ដដែល​នោះ​ ប្រពន្ធ​របស់​គាត់​ដែល​មាន​អាយុ​២៧​ឆ្នាំ​ និង​មាន​​ផ្ទៃ​ពោះ​៧​ខែ​ទៅ​ហើយ​ ត្រូវ​បាន​ក្មេង​ពាល​២​នាក់​ ក្នុង​ចំណោម​ក្រុម​ក្មេងពាល​៥​នាក់​ បាន​ចាប់​អូសចេញ​ពី​ខ្ទម​ចាំ​​ចម្ការ​យក​ទៅ​រំលោភ​យ៉ាង​ព្រៃ​ផ្សៃ​ បណ្តាល​ឱ្យ​មាន​របួស​ស្នាម​ និង​ធ្វើ​ឱ្យ​ប៉ះ​ពាល់​ដល់​ទារក​ក្នុង​ផ្ទៃ​ មិ​នទាន់​ដឹង​ថា​ មាន​វាសនា​បែប​ណា​នៅ​ឡើយ​ទេ ។​

In a hint that this campaign season will be neither smooth nor clean, beleaguered opposition leader Kem Sokha saw two party forums fall apart after hundreds blocked his egress and employed loudspeakers to prevent him from speaking. At both forums, held in Kandal’s Lvea Em and Kien Svay districts, about 1,000 people descended on the meetings and drowned out the speeches with calls for Sokha to publicly apologise for his alleged comments regarding Tuol Sleng, according to district police and opposition leaders.

The Appeal Court upheld a 10-year prison sentence handed to a man convicted last year of dousing a woman with acid, blinding her in one eye. “The court made the decision to uphold the ruling, and if the perpetrator is unsatisfied, he can appeal to the highest court within the law,” Appeal Court Judge Nhoung Thol said. In June last year, 22-year-old Pov Kolab was sentenced to a decade in prison and fined $5,000 by the Kampong Cham Provincial Court for his attack on Kong Touch, 52.

In a country where corruption is as rife as it is in Cambodia, global brands must work with governments to ensure garment factories are safe and working conditions legal, international NGO Transparency International (TI) said yesterday. Responding to reports that some retailers will leave Bangladesh following the Rana Plaza factory collapse that killed more than 1,100 people in April, TI said brands should instead work towards safer, less corrupt markets in countries from which they buy.

A court official yesterday insisted today’s scheduled hearing of former Bavet town governor Chhouk Bandith would go ahead as planned, but stopped short of saying what punishment Bandith might face should he fail to show again. “We will not delay it any longer and Chhouk Bandith must show up in the court room,” Svay Rieng provincial court prosecutor Hing Bunchea said.

The National Assembly yesterday officially rebuked the U.S. government for meddling in Cambodia’s internal affairs after its criticism of the expulsion of 27 opposition lawmakers from their parliamentary positions.

Although the national election is just weeks away and opposition lawmakers have been banned from Parliament until a new government is formed in September, the National Assembly yesterday forged ahead with its work in preparing next year’s national budget.