Siem Reap Provincial Hall’s lawyer Ung Chanthol yesterday filed a lawsuit against Pheng Vannak, 52, former publisher of the Pheng Vannak News Page, accusing him of four offences.
This follows the Minister of Cults and Religion Chhit Sokhon having written a letter to the Kandal Provincial prosecutor on Monday, to initiate legal proceedings against Vannak, a resident, for allegedly insulting a monk, inciting discrimination and making a death threat.
Chanthol told Khmer Times that the offenses for his lawsuit are incitement to discriminate, incitement through the print media, insult of public civil servants and insult of a Buddhist monk, nuns and laymen, under Articles 496, 497, 50 and 516 of the Criminal Code, committed on March 14, 15 and 16.
According to Chanthol’s accusations, if convicted Vannak faces from one to three years in prison.
Chanthol said Vannak posted a live video on March 14 on his Pheng Vannak News Facebook page, insulting monks and threatening to incite discrimination against Buddhist monks and the state religion.
He said Vannak committed other crimes because he also insulted officials, nuns and laymen in Siem Reap province.
“The complaint from the Ministry of Cults to Pheng Vannak is related to the monks on the Buddhist side. But my lawsuit against Pheng Vannak is related to the part of the everyday,” he added
“As a lawyer for Siem Reap Provincial Hall, we are suing Pheng Vannak for harming public servants, the Buddhist monks, nuns and laymen and inciting discrimination by the media,” he said.
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Vannak said that on March 14, he received a video of a monk violently beating a novice with dozens of lashes (rattan) and injuring his entire body for allegedly violating the rules and regulations of the pagoda.
On seeing such a brutal violence, he added that as a journalist he reported it on his media page and urged the relevant authorities and institutions to investigate and bring the perpetrator to task.
Following the publication, he said on March 15 the authorities in Siem Reap province visited the Reach Bou pagoda and seized a large number of rattan sticks and mediated to close the case by asking the chief monk to make a contract.
Read full story at https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50829111/publisher-hit-with-fresh-lawsuit-for-insulting-monk-among-others/
