PM appoints lawyer to head government attorney group
PRIME Minister Hun Sen’s lawyer who won a court case that led to the dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in November, has been promoted.
Ky Tech is now head of the government’s lega l team, a position equiva lent to a senior minister, according to Royal Decree signed by acting head of state Say Chhum on Sunday.
The promotion was approved months after Tech’s nomination as head of the government’s lega l team on March 3 and his inclusion into the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) Central Committee in February.
Tech vowed to protect the government’s interests in his new capacity as head the top lega l team.
Expression of gratitude
“My co-workers and I will put more efforts into protecting t he government’s interests, prestige and reputation from a llegations by indiv idua ls t hat lack t he t r ut h,” he said.
“We will firmly and wholeheartedly protect t he government.”
Former CNRP lawmaker Ou Chanroth claimed t he promotion of a government law yer to a senior minister is an expression of gratitude for Tech’s assistance in helping the government maintain its grip on power.
He claimed the promotion is a waste of national budget as his main role would be to protect the interests of the ruling CPP, not the nation as a whole.
“We should not be surprised. Ky Tech gets this position because of his efforts in helping the CPP … His achievement is just in helping the ruling party maintain power. This is a reward for him,” he said.
Tech represented the Ministry of Interior in its complaint that resulted in the disbanding of the CNRP.
The case relied on the narrat ive t hat t he opposition part y was attempting to overthrow the government t hrough a so-ca lled “colour revolution” aided by foreign countries.
At the Supreme Court tria l in November last year, Tech said the CNRP had mounted a “lotus revolution” when t hey protested t he 2013 election results – a reference to similarly named non-v iolent mass demonstrations in Eastern Europe.
‘Collusion with foreigners’
“Cambodia is under many attempts to enforce a ‘colour revolution’ by the CNRP through its collusion with foreigners and cooperation with local and international NGOs,” he told the ninejudge panel.
The government buttressed its accusation wit h assertions t hat the CNRP was aided by the US in tr ying to overthrow t he government – an a llegation denied by its loca l embassy in Phnom Penh.
As evidence, Tech referred to a speech made by US President Donald Trump in 2016 calling for an end to American attempts to topple foreign governments.
“It shows that the US is behind the toppling of many governments,” he told the Supreme Court.
Tech has also represented many other top officials, including National Assembly president Heng Samrin, in their cases against former CNRP leader Sam Rainsy and senior CNRP officials. He has won all such cases.