A Change of Guard

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Tuesday 15 September 2009

Cambodian news editor settles suit with apology

greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
COURTS: Weekly's harsh criticism of New Year parade committee prompted legal fight.
By Greg Mellen
Staff Writer
Posted: 09/14/2009

SAN PEDRO - A Cambodian news editor being sued for defamation agreed Monday to publish an apology in his newspaper to the offended parties in exchange for having the suit dropped.

Narin Kem, editor and publisher of Serey Pheap, a Cambodian weekly newspaper, agreed to apologize for statements made in the newspaper between 2005 and 2006 without admitting whether the statements were defamatory.

Bill Shibley, the attorney for Kem, said his client would be hard-pressed to bear the cost of a protracted trial and the settlement allows Kem to continue operating his publication.

Kem was unavailable for comment.

In the apology, Kem wrote "I made numerous statements which (the defendants) claim impugned their character and integrity by charging them with misconduct."

The complainants were Danny Vong, Sweety Chap, Kundy Kol, Thommy Nou and Sereivuth Prak.

In their suit, the five had asked for $300,000 each.

In 2005, when the Cambodian community was racked with dissension over the proposed date for the inaugural Cambodian New Year Parade, Kem was a vocal critic of the parade and members of its organizing committee.

The event was initially scheduled for April 17, the 30th anniversary date of the rise of the Khmer Rouge to power in Cambodia.

Many, like Kem, believed it wrong to celebrate on a day that marked the official onset of the Khmer Rouge reign, which ended 44 months and about 2 million dead later.
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As the New Year dispute escalated, so did the rhetoric with Kem harshly criticizing parade organizers.

Those on the parade committee contended the attacks were personal, while Kem's defense was that the pieces were opinion and protected as freedom of speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Paline Soth, who has written occasional pieces for Serey Pheap, says it is important for those like Kem to have a voice in community discourse.

"I believe it's our way of exercising our freedom of speech," Soth said. "We're voicing our opinion and it's a plus."

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