I Just Want an Apology, School Principal Says After Suing Ex-Pupils
3 min read

Va Sopheanut
| Thu Feb 11, 2021 3:43 pm .

The principal of a Takeo province high school says he has sued five former students for defamation as a warning after they posted critical comments on a Facebook video of him drinking and singing karaoke.

Chheuteal Chrum High School principal Panh Putheara said he was insulted by the ex-pupils calling him “neak” — a Khmer word that means you, but is considered as lacking respect — and would donate the potential 50 million riel in damages he is seeking for mental suffering, or about $12,500, to the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital and school constructions if he wins the case.

The video was posted on January 8 by the school’s deputy principal and shows Putheara standing and singing karaoke behind a table that has some beer cans on it. Putheara said this week that he was not drunk, and it was at home during the holidays in his private time as a “normal citizen.”

The five ex-students’ comments have been deleted from the Facebook video, but Putheara saved screenshots of two of them.

In one, Thun Piti, 19, says: “Sorry for the bad comments, teacher, but I would like to request that there be no posts on Facebook, because it is not a good model for many students.”

“Don’t follow the teacher’s bad points, only follow his good points,” Piti says.

In another, longer comment, Pan Nak, 26, says wine is one of Buddhism’s four evils.

“You are a teacher, you are a principal, you are an educator, you are a role model for children! Do you think this video is suitable for public posting like this? How many tens of thousands of children are under your leadership and are receiving bad influence from you?” Nak writes.

“I want to tell you that children who go to school have hopes, they need a guide, they need you to take their hand, they need a light to reach their goal. Please consider your actions and professional ethics.”

Putheara said he had sued the five ex-students for defamation because they insinuated that he drank to excess.

“They should apologize, first of all, [because] they insulted me, called me ‘neak,’ neak every time, neak should not commit the four evils,” he said. “I can’t accept it.”
https://vodenglish.news/i-just-want-an- ... ex-pupils/

John Bingham wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 2:35 am What a fucking palaver.

You say that, but your neighbour can put in a complaint about something you said and because you "brought the name of the nation of Cambodia into disrepute" you can get sued for libel. The fine for libel is maximum of $2000 under Cambodian law, and yet if you somehow have insulted Cambodian values that can increase beyond that, or the judge can just stick it up to whatever amount he wants if you bung him some coin. Libel seems to be the one place you can really turn the screws without any reference to the actual law. Evidence obtained illegally? Evidence fabricated? No fucking problem. It's why you're always told to hold your tongue here. It's beyond law.

cptrelentless wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:37 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 2:35 am What a fucking palaver.

You say that, but your neighbour can put in a complaint about something you said and because you "brought the name of the nation of Cambodia into disrepute" you can get sued for libel. The fine for libel is maximum of $2000 under Cambodian law, and yet if you somehow have insulted Cambodian values that can increase beyond that, or the judge can just stick it up to whatever amount he wants if you bung him some coin. Libel seems to be the one place you can really turn the screws without any reference to the actual law. Evidence obtained illegally? Evidence fabricated? No fucking problem. It's why you're always told to hold your tongue here. It's beyond law.

So what did you say?

simon43 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 5:19 am

cptrelentless wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:37 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 2:35 am What a fucking palaver.

You say that, but your neighbour can put in a complaint about something you said and because you "brought the name of the nation of Cambodia into disrepute" you can get sued for libel. The fine for libel is maximum of $2000 under Cambodian law, and yet if you somehow have insulted Cambodian values that can increase beyond that, or the judge can just stick it up to whatever amount he wants if you bung him some coin. Libel seems to be the one place you can really turn the screws without any reference to the actual law. Evidence obtained illegally? Evidence fabricated? No fucking problem. It's why you're always told to hold your tongue here. It's beyond law.

So what did you say?

A small grammar correction here: Libel is written, slander is spoken. I don't know why there is a difference, its all potato potaato.

lagrange wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 7:03 am

simon43 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 5:19 am

cptrelentless wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:37 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 2:35 am What a fucking palaver.

You say that, but your neighbour can put in a complaint about something you said and because you "brought the name of the nation of Cambodia into disrepute" you can get sued for libel. The fine for libel is maximum of $2000 under Cambodian law, and yet if you somehow have insulted Cambodian values that can increase beyond that, or the judge can just stick it up to whatever amount he wants if you bung him some coin. Libel seems to be the one place you can really turn the screws without any reference to the actual law. Evidence obtained illegally? Evidence fabricated? No fucking problem. It's why you're always told to hold your tongue here. It's beyond law.

So what did you say?

A small grammar correction here: Libel is written, slander is spoken. I don't know why there is a difference, its all potato potaato.

I say potato, you say tomato.

Well since the big guys can do it I guess everyone can? Shows how fucking stupid this whole law is. Hopefully he gets so much bad publicity he drops the charade. What a douche.