Sam Rainsy

Sam Rainsy (Khmer: សម រង្ស៊ី; born March 10, 1949) is a Cambodian politician.Sam Rainsy was born in Phnom Penh, son of Sam Sary, a member of Cambodia's government for a time in the 1950s. He moved to France in 1965, studied there and then worked in a variety of Parisian financial companies. He is married to Cambodian Saumura Tioulong, who is also member of parliament, and has three children: Patrice Sam, Muriel Sam, and Rachel Sam.

He became a member of the Cambodian Funcinpec Party, and after returning to Cambodia in 1992 was elected a member of parliament for Siem Reap province the following year. He became Minister of Finance, but was expelled from the party after losing a vote of no-confidence in 1994. In 1995, he founded the Khmer Nation Party (KNP), which changed its name before the 1998 elections to the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) to avoid registration issues [http://www.samrainsyparty.org/about/about_the_sam_rainsy_party.htm] . Rainsy was elected a member of parliament for Kompong Cham province in those elections, and the party polled 14% of the vote. In the 2003 elections, it polled 22% of the vote.

Rainsy went into self-exile on 3 February 2005, citing fear of arrest after a vote in the National Assembly removed parliamentary immunity from himself and fellow SRP MPs Chea Poch and Cheam Channy [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/02/07/cambod10138.htm] . On that same day, Parliamentarian Cheam Channy was arrested, and detained in the Cambodian Military Prison. Rainsy faced multiple criminal defamation charges after accusing the Cambodian People's Party and Funcinpec of corruption in the formation of the current coalition government. He has also accused Prime Minister Hun Sen of involvement in the 22 January 2004 murder of SRP-affiliated union leader Chea Vichea.

At that time, the US Embassy in Phnom Penh said it was "deeply concerned" that the government appeared to be trying to "silence the opposition". Other embassies, local and international organizations shared the same concerns.

Rainsy was tried in absentia on 22 December 2005 in relation to the defamation lawsuits. The court sentenced him to 18 months in prison and ordered him to pay around US$14,000 in fines and compensation.

On 5 February 2006, Rainsy received a Royal Pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni at Prime Minister Hun Sen's request. He then returned to Cambodia on 10 February 2006.

External links

* [http://www.samrainsyparty.org/ Sam Rainsy Party homepage]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/138764.stm BBC profile of Rainsy]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4231771.stm BBC: "Cambodia opposition calls on king"]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4235951.stm BBC: "Sam Rainsy appeal on Cambodia"]