Zsombor Peter (Cambodia Daily Journalist) Criminally Charged in Cambodia; Appears to be Politically Motivated
Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 1:07 am
UPDATE: Zsombor Peter, the former journalist for the Cambodia Daily has reached out to CEO to tell us that he was not in fact ARRESTED in Cambodia, but was only charged. We have looked into this for him, and while local reports clearly said he was 'arrested,' The Cambodia Daily and The Phnom Penh Post both say he was charged but don't mention he was actually arrested, so we have updated this article accordingly. It also originally appeared that the local news media reported that he had to sign something saying he would stop doing what he was charged over (allegedly asking election questions too close to an election and giving locals a hard time for supporting the ruling party, which has ultimately lead to him being charged with 'incitement to commit a felony'), but he also denies he had to sign anything saying he would stop, and we believe him.
We also identified him as Peter Zsombor instead of Zsombor Peter, and we have corrected that as well. We have made this correction here at the top, as he is afraid that nobody will read the correction if we put it on the bottom of the article or somewhere else less visible, and he wants us to make it perfectly clear that anyone reading this is certain that we are saying that he was only charged for his alleged crimes, not arrested, and he also never signed anything promising to 'knock it off.'
Ratanak Kiri, Cambodia: Zsombor Peter, a Canadian journalist for The Cambodia Daily English language Newspaper, was CHARGED NOT ARRESTED after authorities received complaints of him and another (local) journalist going around and asking people which political party they support and who did they vote for in 2012.
When people told them they support the CPP, Peter Zsombor allegedly kept asking them why don't they support the CNRP.
As the Cambodian government is very eager to make sure the county continues to have free and fair elections, they want to make sure Western journalists are not coming to corrupt the kind and pure hearts of the people, and wanted to force him to stop "meddling" in the country's election process.
He was criminally charged but was NOT forced to sign any agreements to stop his political interviews.
It first seemed that Peter Zsombor had to promise with his thumbprint that he would knock it off, but he says this didn't happen and we believe him.
Mr Zsombor Peter has been writing very critical articles about the Cambodian government since at least 2009 while working for the Cambodia Daily, and it would be a shame if he quit now.
Here are links to some of his recent articles:
NGO Publishes More Evidence of Illegal Logging Operation
Government Investigates Vietnamese Logging Operation
Customs Data Shows Banned Timber Exports Still Growing
Probe Finds Rampant Log Smuggling to Vietnam
Satellite Spies Fresh Clearing Of Wildlife Sanctuary Forest
Riot Police, Guards Block Labor Day Marchers
Anniversary for Slain Activist Defies Government’s Threat
(And all those were just from the past month, so you get the picture.)
Again, Canadian reporter/journalist Zsombor Peter reached out to CEO almost 8 months after this incident to dispute any suggestions that he was arrested and forced to sign anything saying he would stop doing his political interviews, so we have gone ahead and edited this to better reflect his own newspaper's coverage of the story rather than numerous local reports from within Cambodia at the time that stated he was arrested for his alleged crimes.
According to the Phnom Penh Post, Mr Peter was criminally charged with 'incitement to commit a felony' and now faces up to 2 years in Cambodian prison after Ratanakkiri Prosecutor Chea Pich laid charges against him.
The Phnom Penh Post also reported that Zsombor Peter did not show up to Ratanakkiri Provincial Court on June 27, 2017.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/f ... incitement
We also identified him as Peter Zsombor instead of Zsombor Peter, and we have corrected that as well. We have made this correction here at the top, as he is afraid that nobody will read the correction if we put it on the bottom of the article or somewhere else less visible, and he wants us to make it perfectly clear that anyone reading this is certain that we are saying that he was only charged for his alleged crimes, not arrested, and he also never signed anything promising to 'knock it off.'
Ratanak Kiri, Cambodia: Zsombor Peter, a Canadian journalist for The Cambodia Daily English language Newspaper, was CHARGED NOT ARRESTED after authorities received complaints of him and another (local) journalist going around and asking people which political party they support and who did they vote for in 2012.
When people told them they support the CPP, Peter Zsombor allegedly kept asking them why don't they support the CNRP.
As the Cambodian government is very eager to make sure the county continues to have free and fair elections, they want to make sure Western journalists are not coming to corrupt the kind and pure hearts of the people, and wanted to force him to stop "meddling" in the country's election process.
He was criminally charged but was NOT forced to sign any agreements to stop his political interviews.
It first seemed that Peter Zsombor had to promise with his thumbprint that he would knock it off, but he says this didn't happen and we believe him.
Mr Zsombor Peter has been writing very critical articles about the Cambodian government since at least 2009 while working for the Cambodia Daily, and it would be a shame if he quit now.
Here are links to some of his recent articles:
NGO Publishes More Evidence of Illegal Logging Operation
Government Investigates Vietnamese Logging Operation
Customs Data Shows Banned Timber Exports Still Growing
Probe Finds Rampant Log Smuggling to Vietnam
Satellite Spies Fresh Clearing Of Wildlife Sanctuary Forest
Riot Police, Guards Block Labor Day Marchers
Anniversary for Slain Activist Defies Government’s Threat
(And all those were just from the past month, so you get the picture.)
Again, Canadian reporter/journalist Zsombor Peter reached out to CEO almost 8 months after this incident to dispute any suggestions that he was arrested and forced to sign anything saying he would stop doing his political interviews, so we have gone ahead and edited this to better reflect his own newspaper's coverage of the story rather than numerous local reports from within Cambodia at the time that stated he was arrested for his alleged crimes.
According to the Phnom Penh Post, Mr Peter was criminally charged with 'incitement to commit a felony' and now faces up to 2 years in Cambodian prison after Ratanakkiri Prosecutor Chea Pich laid charges against him.
The Phnom Penh Post also reported that Zsombor Peter did not show up to Ratanakkiri Provincial Court on June 27, 2017.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/f ... incitement