Pheng Vannak Taunts Critics with Lawsuit Challenge
Photo: Pheng Vannak's and Chak Sopheap's Facebook account
- By Teng Yalirozy
- February 17, 2023 7:35 PM
PHNOM PENH – Pheng Vannak has challenged his critics to bring on a lawsuit over his crude online comments about a woman journalist at the center of the VOD closure controversy.
The commentator showed no intention to apologize for his words.
Vannak criticized the journalist at the now-closed VOD after her story on Feb. 9 that Hun Sen's oldest son Hun Manet had authorized $100,000 in quake aid to Turkey. VOD later admitted the story was wrong.
He said on his personal Facebook page, post “As a young girl, but with a wild character…with such a cheap character, whoever marries you would be finished…”
He faced a public backlash and 40 civil society groups issued an open letter on Feb. 14 demanding ministries take action and make him apologize to the journalist.
On Feb. 16, he issued his own open letter in response. He acknowledged using abusive words but said it was his right as a citizen to show his opinion.
“There is no smoke without fire,” he wrote. “I wrote a statement as a citizen who uses my personal Facebook account.
“I did not write the comments on the website or the official Facebook page registered with the Information Ministry.”
In his open letter, Vannak said that those who were not happy with his comments could file a lawsuit.
Chak Sopheap, executive director of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR), said direct confrontation in the harassment case would affect the female victim, leading civil groups to ask for intervention from the authorities to take action.
On Feb. 16, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs issued a statement denouncing any acts that are violent, immoral, and detrimental to the honor, and dignity of Cambodian women without referring to any case.
The ministry has refused to take action because the comments were made as a private individual.
The Information Ministry said it had no power to intervene because the comments were on Vannak’s personal Facebook page, not on his media-licensed website.
Chak Sopheap, executive director of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said, “If the ministries keep saying that it’s an individual matter, it means we are not giving protection to the victim.
“Cambodia says it wants to end female violence and harassment, but it cannot be done if the victims have to swim through everything on their own.”
She said the civil group would keep demanding action on this case, giving legal and mental support as much as possible if the victim thinks she is ready for a lawsuit.
“If it’s a personal matter and the individual is left to solve it, our society will be chaotic,” she said.
“I regret that there have been subsequent reactions that do not seem to have intervened in the elimination of insults that undermine women's dignity, but instead they have rejected and argued that civil society practices double standards. I think it is disappointing.”
On Feb. 17, Hun Sen said on his Facebook page that the critical and mostly foreign-funded NGOs used double standards. They never complained about exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy's bad words about the PM’s family.
“What I don't forget about is my sister-in-law who after her death was insulted thousands of thousands of times more than Pheng Vannak said to a VOD reporter,” Hun Sen said.
“They also insulted my wife and my family.
“Do these 40 organizations handle this? Why are they silent or are these organizations set up just to protect the opposition people?
“Please keep this in mind and stop talking about the two standards with the government.”
Sopheap of CCHR said that this comment shows the tendency of the authorities to support the wrongdoer, which seriously harms society.
She responded that the groups support and provide protection to the grassroots who have no power, claiming the groups do not support any side or any insults.
“We support the victims who are not able to solve the problems, which are citizens. This is a different point, and I hope that the government knows the role of the civil groups,” she said. “What should be done now is intervene and stop the insult and harassment against women.”
