Sam Rainsy Rejects Accusation of Inciting Military Coup

CNRP president Sam Rainsy on Monday defended his recent Facebook posts urging police and soldiers to “stand up” with the people and “demand” a change of government, and dismissed claims from the ruling CPP that he was inciting a coup. … “We just want to urge policemen and soldiers to refrain from using violence against any citizens because we all are Khmers, peaceful Buddhists, and love our country,” he wrote in an email from the U.S. where he is attending his daughter’s wedding. … CPP senior lawmaker and defacto party spokesman Cheam Yeap said Sunday that Mr. Rainsy’s online remarks were nothing short of incitement and grounds for a lawsuit, and stood by his claim Monday. “If his Facebook is real, he must be responsible for his words. It is incitement to create chaos and impact national security,” he said. “It is stated clearly in the criminal code.” Mr. Yeap said the government had no immediate plans to file a lawsuit, however. CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann on Monday denied that Mr. Rainsy was inciting the armed forces—widely perceived as partial toward the CPP—but wanted them to remain neutral amid the political tensions. “The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces are a national force, which do not belong to any political party,” he said at a press conference at CNRP headquarters to reject preliminary election results released by the National Election Committee earlier that morning. “What president Sam Rainsy was calling for was good will, to show the national and international community that the CNRP wants a peaceful solution. The army should not work for any political party; they should be in the middle and let the political parties settle the issue peacefully.” …

 Neou Vannarin and Zsombor Peter
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/sam-rainsy-rejects-accusation-of-inciting-military-coup-39276/