This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy.A Canadian journalist who was charged two years ago with incitement to commit a felony while covering an election campaign in Cambodia says he wants to know why the Canadian government has not publicly denounced the case as the trial moves ahead for Christmas Day.
“For the record, Pheap and I did not intimidate or incite anyone and the charge is not only baseless but absurd, lacking a shred of evidence,” said Mr. Peter, who has not returned to Cambodia since leaving in October, 2017.Mr. Peter said an official at the Canadian embassy in Cambodia told him the office met with Cambodian authorities about his case, but did not provide any details.
Mr. Peter, who is a freelance journalist in Southeast Asia, said he covered Cambodia for eight years, including trials of politicians and rights advocates and wrote investigative stories on the logging business in the province where the complaint was made.He believes the case against him and his Cambodian colleague is"politically motivated, meant to discourage us and other independent journalists from reporting on politics and other sensitive issues honestly.