Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Jailed lawmaker Um Sam An plans Hun Sen apology letter

Jailed lawmaker Um Sam An plans Hun Sen apology letter

Jailed opposition lawmaker Um Sam An is escorted out of Phnom Penh Supreme Court in August last year.
Jailed opposition lawmaker Um Sam An is escorted out of Phnom Penh Supreme Court in August last year. Heng Chivoan

Jailed lawmaker Um Sam An plans Hun Sen apology letter

A source close to jailed former opposition lawmaker Um Sam An yesterday confirmed local media reports that Sam An plans to submit a letter of apology to Prime Minister Hun Sen in the hopes of receiving a royal pardon.

An article on Voice of America’s Khmer service reported that the former lawmaker told the Supreme Court on Friday that he planned to issue an apology in which he would ask the premier to recommend a pardon from King Norodom Sihamoni.

Opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour was recently freed after serving more than two years of a seven year sentence, following a letter of apology to Hun Sen. Both Sok Hour and Sam An were arrested for controversial Facebook posts about the Cambodian-Vietnamese border, and Sam An has served 566 days of a two-and-a-half year sentence.

“It was the same case with Hong Sok Hour. After he sent the apology to the Prime Minister, the King signed the letter to release him,” the source explained, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak with the press. He added that he was hopeful Sam An would be released by this weekend’s Water Festival.

However, CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said Sam An’s pardon may be complicated by the fact that he did not plead guilty in court during his trial.

“He has not acknowledged his guilt . . . I don’t know about Prime Minister Hun Sen’s decision, but from my perspective the possibility of the pardon is difficult,” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • PM urges end to ‘baseless’ international Ream base accusations

    Prime Minister Hun Sen urges an end to “baseless” foreign accusations surrounding the development of the Kingdom’s Ream Naval Base, as the US has consistently suggested that the base is being expanded to accommodate a Chinese military presence. Hun Sen renewed his calls while

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the