VZCZCXRO5112
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0555/01 2171057
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 051057Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1020
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000555 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS, P, D, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM CB
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF COMMERCE DENIES DEFAMATION SUITS ARE 
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED 
 
REF: A. PHNOM PENH 489 
     ¶B. PHNOM PENH 410 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR CAROL A. RODLEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D) 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  During an August 4 meeting with Senior Minister 
and Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh, the Ambassador 
expressed serious USG concerns about the recent attacks on 
freedom of speech and the constricting of political space in 
Cambodia, highlighting the resulting damage to Cambodia's 
international reputation and ability to attract foreign 
investment.  The Senior Minister defended the Royal 
Government of Cambodia's (RGC) use of lawsuits as necessary, 
denying that lawsuits were politically motivated, and 
characterized the criticism of senior government leaders as 
irresponsible, malicious attacks of a personal nature.  He 
cited Asian values to argue that defamation lawsuits in 
response to such criticism were appropriate and necessary for 
senior leaders to defend their integrity and honor. 
Acknowledging that Cambodia's democracy was imperfect after 
starting from scratch and with only 10 years of stability, he 
nevertheless cautioned that to speak out against the 
government's response would only encourage ill-intentioned 
critics.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Ambassador Highlights Consequences of Lawsuits 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2. (C) The Ambassador expressed her deep concern to the 
Senior Minister that the recent attacks constricting 
political freedom in Cambodia, such as the slate of 
defamation, disinformation, and incitement charges against 
opposition politicians, journalists, and private citizens, 
are adversely affecting Cambodia's international reputation 
and deter foreign investment.  She explained that such 
actions send the wrong signals, creating a negative 
perception in Washington, D.C., that freedom of expression is 
under attack, which is undermining Cambodia's recent 
democratic gains.  She noted the planned U.S. House of 
Representatives hearing on the human rights situation in 
Cambodia as one recent outcome of the perception that the 
government is taking aggressive action to silence its 
critics.  She stressed that public figures need to be 
tolerant of legitimate, responsible criticism of the 
government and its polices and actions.  While she stated 
that public figures should have thicker skin and be open to 
fair comment, she noted that there is a need for responsible 
journalism and told the Senior Minister that she has shared 
this message with members of the political opposition and 
civil society, urging them to avoid making personal, 
malicious, and knowingly false attacks. 
 
Different Values When Honor and Integrity at Stake 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶3. (C) The Senior Minister was extremely frank and candid in 
his response to the Ambassador's concerns.  He stated that 
while Cambodians share our democratic values, the U.S. should 
be more sympathetic to Cambodia's situation and put the 
country's achievements in the context of all the challenges 
that Cambodia has overcome in the recent past.  He asserted 
that one "cannot have full-fledged democracy overnight."  He 
stated that Cambodians do not share the negative 
international perception described by the Ambassador, as 
demonstrated by the increased popular support for the 
governing party in the 2008 election.  He advised the 
Ambassador "not to be too impatient to make it all perfect," 
noting that Cambodia "started from scratch" after the Khmer 
Rouge and that it takes time to build democracy. 
 
¶4. (C) He urged the Ambassador not to generalize the recent 
freedom of expression cases as "a new wave of political 
repression," arguing that these recent cases were not 
politically motivated but a necessary response to what he 
characterized as "cursing" an individual's integrity and 
honor.  Asian values, he maintained, require a response to 
attacks against one's honor.  He explained that the 
government had been extremely patient with outspoken 
criticism, particularly during the 2008 election campaign, 
but that these recent cases were "too much" and could no 
longer be ignored.  He questioned if the opposition was able 
to attack the government, then why shouldn't the government 
be able to respond, stating that there "should be fair 
treatment for everybody."  Cham Prasidh informed the 
Ambassador that he has also been a victim of a malicious 
attack, and spoke emotionally about a 2007 article alleging 
his involvement in an extramarital affair and accusing his 
wife of physically attacking his alleged mistress.  He said 
that he won a defamation suit against the publisher of the 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000555  002 OF 002 
 
 
story, which was forced to print a correction and ordered to 
pay a fine of 10 million riel (approx. USD 2,500). 
 
Opposition: A Necessary Evil 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Cham Prasidh complained that the opposition "has 
nothing else to do" but launch public attacks against the 
government and prominent officials since losing popular 
support in the 2008 election.  He asserted that these figures 
speak out only to attract international attention and to 
elicit financial contributions from overseas.  In response to 
the planned House hearing, he complained that U.S. officials 
make judgments about Cambodia based only on news articles in 
the Western press without first-hand experience in the 
country.  He argued that the government does not seek to 
destroy the political opposition, rather he described them as 
a "needed disease," necessary to prevent Cambodia's claim to 
being a multi-party democracy from ringing hollow. 
 
¶6. (C) However, he noted growing disillusionment of 
Cambodian-Americans in the U.S. with Sam Rainsy and cautioned 
the Ambassador against giving "him too much importance."  He 
described Sam Rainsy as "mentally sick" and intent on 
destroying Cambodia as part of a personal vendetta against 
the governing regime which he has harbored since 1962 when 
his father was killed and the rest of his family exiled. 
Cham Prasidh was also very candid in his criticism of Sam 
Rainsy's performance as Minister of Economy and Finance in 
the early 1990's, during which time Cham Prasidh was the 
Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (C)  Normally calm and collected, Cham Prasidh was candid 
and at times emotional as he justified the government's 
response to recent criticism.  His defense of the lawsuits 
presents a different take than that made in previous 
conversations with RGC officials (reftels), who stressed the 
need for stability and public order above all as 
justification for the attacks on freedom of expression.  The 
Senior Minister's own experience with a personal, malicious 
attack on himself and his wife has clearly affected his 
perception on this issue.  Nevertheless, his characterization 
of the disputes as personal in nature and his impassioned 
defense of the importance of protecting one's honor and 
reputation add additional insight into the government's 
aggressive response to outspoken critics. 
RODLEY