Cambodia accuses Finland of protecting convicted criminal
Visa granted to former police chief wanted in murder case
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The Foreign Ministry of Cambodia has sharply criticised Finland for agreeing to grant a visa to former police chief Heng Peo, who is wanted for murder in his home country.
He has not yet been given the visa, but the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has decided that he is eligible for one, says Lauri Korpinen, the Finnish Ambassador to Malaysia.
The limited visa, granted for humanitarian reasons, would apply to Finland alone, and not to the other Schengen countries.
Heng Peo has been arrested in Malaysia on suspicion of illegal entry into the country, and he cannot leave before the matter is handled in court.
If he is released, and uses his Finnish visa to travel to Finland, Heng Peo can later apply for political asylum. Heng Peo’s lawyer and human rights organisations have appealed to Finland on the man’s behalf. On his website, the former police chief says that he would be tortured or killed if he were returned to Cambodia.
Heng Peo was sentenced in absentia to a long prison term for involvement in the murder of a Cambodian judge. He has denied his involvement in the killing, and says that the Cambodian government is persecuting him because he knows too much about crimes committed by the country’s government.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong criticised Finland for granting a visa to a man seen as a criminal. The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs will not disclose the text of a letter sent by the Ambassador, as it is still working on a response.
However, the Associated Press reports that copies of the letter had been distributed to journalists in Phnom Penh, revealing a tone that was intense, and even sarcastic.
"There are currently many criminals serving jail terms in Cambodian prisons. We would be happy to send them all to Finland," Hor Namhong wrote.
Cambodia’s legal system is seen as seriously corrupt and unfair. Observers say that the courts are used as tools in political disputes.
Amnesty International has said that intimidation, arrests, and physical abuse of opposition members are commonplace in the country.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 8.12.2006 - TODAY |
 Cambodia accuses Finland of protecting convicted criminal
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