A downfall of a media celebrity Thy Sovantha

By Khmer Wathanakam
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

Image credit Thy Sovantha's Facebook Page

Miss Thy Sovantha, a young woman who had emerged during election campaign 2013 and a courageous protester against election fraud in a post-election crisis is the one who stood on a top of vehicle leading thousands of protesters to demand Hun Sen step down from power.  She was very active in both politics and charity.  Since 2013 election, she has gained more popularity from people inside and outside the country. She is only a few Cambodian figures who have received "Like" from Facebook page over million mark: popular singer Meas Soksophea 2.3 millions, Sam Rainsy 2.29 millions, Thy Sovantha 1.5 millions, and Hun Sen whose over 3 million "Like" marks raised question about its authenticity.  Sovantha quickly earned her unofficial title as a media celebrity or a Facebook star. However, Sovantha's popularity has plunked to the lowest level since she has brought a defamation lawsuit against vice president CNRP Kem Sokha, accusing him and his alleged mistress of defaming her on her new luxury car even if  that voice conversation is not authentic yet and is believed by most analysts and people as a fake or set up scheme by CPP and Hun Sen in order to humiliate and discredit Kem Sokha and CNRP as local and national election are getting closer.  Thy Sovantha wasted no time in finding the authentic of the voice conversation and quickly accused Kem Sokha and his alleged mistress of defaming her.  Her quick action and unwise move against CNRP's vice president Kem Sokha whom she used to support has drawn fierce reaction from her Facebook's fans and supporters.  Thousands of comments on her Facebook page have blamed, condemned, and cursed her, in contrast to previous comments that always filled with praises and enthusiastic supports.  Why did Thy Sovantha let her popularity fall down? or did she miscalculate public opinions? Or was she bought out by the CPP or did she fall into political game unknowingly?

Since the election of 2013, miss thy Sovantha or known as a media celebrity or Facebook star has proved herself as a potential future leader because she is very active in political and social issues: from  reporting hot news relating to political and social chaos, engaging in charity works and environment protection in Areng River and other areas, visiting border demarcation, helping orphans and so on.  All her activities have garnered praises and supports from most people across the country and abroad.  Nonetheless, her reputation and popularity have turned upside down overnight when she has jumped into political game that more likely Hun Sen and his CPP's supporters fabricated to weaken and humiliate CNRP's vice president Kem Sokha.  Hun Sen's game is to kill two birds with one arrow.  In this case Hun Sen and his CPP sit and watch Thy Sovatha fought with Kem Sokha, and if Sovantha can proceed the case to the court, she will definitely win, for the court system under Hun Sen control. At the end of game, Kem Sokha may end up in prison and Thy Sovantha has already lost her popularity and supports from most people.  This pattern of trick had been used by Hun Sen in the past when he used Bunchay against Ranaridh, and even used Ranaridh's former wife Marry to sue her husband Ranaridh for adultery that forced Ranaridh to flee the country into exile for the second times.

In the current situation, Thy Sovantha should wait and find out the truth first whether the voice conversation is the real Kem Sokha voice and his alleged mistress or a fake ones before seeking a legal action to protect her honor if allowed by law.  But she may miscalculate public opinions and has too much personal pride based on her Facebook's "Like".  She has expected people would support her action no matter what. Or she is too young to think about political game and its repercussion, or she may become a political tool for Hun Sen to weaken and destroy CNRP's leadership.  This is Thy Sovanatha's fait acommpli; her damage has been done; she has no way to regain her trust and support from the people again, and her future is in limbo: to stay with CNRP camp or turn to support CPP publicly, or to stay in her current charity work.  Either way she still loses most support from the people inside and outside the country, as witnessing by thousands of negative comments on her Facebook page.  For Thy Sovantha vs. Kem Sokha case, she has no legal ground to sue him even though the voice conversation is the real Kem Sokha's voice because it is his private conversation; he did not speak publicly on TVs or Newspapers or intent to humiliate her in any situation.  If only such a simple gossip become defame case, there is no prison to put all people who speak like this in their daily life.  In fact, the government should investigate the people who got kem Sokha's voice. How can they get it? Did they get permission to record his voice? for what reason and purpose? Instead, the government investigated and interrogated the victims when the thieves are free to publish an unauthorized voice record.  Even President Nixon lost his presidency position when he secretly had ordered voice record the Democrat conversation without authorization. But in Cambodia Kem Sokha becomes a double victim. Also along with Sovantha's lawsuit, another group of so-called students brought a petition to the Anti-Corruption Unit demanding Kem Sokha to explain his alleged scandal. Why did these students  concern too much about Kem Sokha's personal matter than social and national issues? Probably most people know the answer.

Although this case has become more complicated, most people may well understand who is behind this dirty scheme. As recently Hun Sen warned CNRP not to label him behind the case, " If you resist, you will be crushed."  Such a warning clearly indicated that he is a real culprit.  This case most likely a smeared campaign by Hun Sen against his opponents in order to humiliate and destroy the CNRP which is the only viable force to unseat him from power in the next general election.  It's a good strategy when Kem Sokha and CNRP chose to be silent and not to respond or defend himself from such a ridiculous allegation but stay focus on more important national issues. For Thy Sovantha, she is too young to involve with such a dangerous political game.  She has too much personal pride and is being tempted with materialism.  Now she already fell deeply into Hun Sen's trap or became Hun Sen's political tool to destroy CNRP which she has strongly supported.  However, she can't destroy CNRP but her own popularity, reputation, and future.  From now on she no longer become an idol to her fans and supporters as used to be before.  She completely destroys her own future and honor overnight when she has spent years to build it.  Even some analysts criticized her for poisoning to her own popularity and materialism; she forgot her own root. She has gained more attention from the people because she is strongly anti-Hun Sen and supports CNRP.  Now she bites her own tail.