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26 Jailed for Trying to Topple Cambodian Government
Twenty six people were sentenced to jail Monday in the second trial of suspects accused of attempting to topple Cambodia's government last November.
The suspects were given from three to 15 years for attempting to overthrow Prime Minister Hun Sen's government with an armed attack on three government buildings in Phnom Penh on Nov. 24, 2000.
Six attackers and one civilian were killed, and 12 wounded in the pre-dawn raids. An obscure U.S.-based anti-communist group, the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, claimed responsibility.
Family members wept outside the crowded courtroom as the verdicts were announced, with many saying the accused had cooperated with government investigators after receiving promises of leniency. Two people were freed because of lack of evidence.
"This is not justice," said Choum Samy, mother of a 29-year-old customs official, Duong Sopheap, who was given seven years imprisonment.
An appeal is expected, defense lawyers said.
Among the most prominent defendants was 42-year-old former Khmer Rouge military sub-commander, Chan Bunkhen, one of three men to get sentences of 15 years. The state said he was one of the key plotters.
All the defendants had been held without trial beyond the six-month limit allowed by Cambodian law. Interior Ministry officials said the severity of the charges justified the long detentions. The trial started Oct. 18. In Cambodia, sentences are handed down along with convictions.
In June, another 32 people including three American citizens of Cambodian origin were found guilty of the same charges and sentenced to jail terms ranging from three years to life.
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