Sihanouk to file lawsuit against South China Morning Post

Asian Political News, July 24, 2000

PHNOM PENH, July 19 Kyodo

Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk issued a statement Wednesday saying he will file a lawsuit against the South China Morning Post for alleged defamation in an article published earlier this month.

The July 1 article discussing possible Sihanouk successors apparently said, "One of the possible soft candidates is the Paris-based ballet-dancer son of the queen, Norodom Sihamoni, whom the queen is thought to favor, though the king is not his father."

The king said in the statement Wednesday that Sihamoni is his son and "I am, Norodom Sihanouk, his real father."

The suit is the first launched by Sihanouk since he was re-crowned as king in 1993.

The king said he will seek a qualified court in Hong Kong to try the defendants for insulting him.

The South China Morning Post is based in Hong Kong.

Also, Wednesday, an editor of the local "Cambodian News Bulletin" apologized in a letter for running a translation of the article from the South China Morning Post.

The local paper faces a lawsuit filed by the government attorney in a Phnom Penh's court for "violating the king."

Khieu Phirum, editor of the News Bulletin, said he received a summons from the court Monday to appear Thursday.

Lu Laysreng, minister of Information, told Kyodo News the article in the South China Morning Post was not accurate and, because the News Bulletin used it, the News Bulletin "doubly violated the king."