Sonando Jailed for 20 Years; Sentence Denounced
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court handed down a 20-year jail sentence to independent radio station owner Mam Sonando yesterday for his role in fomenting an alleged secessionist movement in a decision drawing condemnation from human rights groups and some of Cambodia’s main foreign donors. The court also convicted and sentenced 13 other co-defendants, including three in absentia. However, seven of the 13 who had cooperated with the prosecution had their jail terms suspended and were freed by the court. … A statement from 12 local NGOs, unions and media organizations called Mr. Sonando’s sentence “draconian.” “Sonando represents a threat to the government, but not because he has any intention to secede,” Naly Pilorge, director of rights group Licadho, said in a statement. “It’s because he owns one of the last remaining independent radio stations in Cambodia and because he provides airtime to opposition parties and voices from outside the ruling circle.” …
