The Cambodia Teachers Independent Union has appealed to the Ministry of Education for the return of voter cards to older students, who, the union says, had them confiscated by school administrators. In Cambodia, many students are old enough to vote, but they cannot do so without voter cards. Education Minister Kol Peng could not be reached for comment.***
The Ministry of Information is pushing for a newspaper facing a lawsuit from former King Norodom Sihanouk to publish a letter dismissing an allegedly slanderous article. Last week, the Sralanh Khmer newspaper published an article disparaging the king and former Queen Norodom Monineath, and the king has indicated he plans to sue. Editor Thach Keth said he would publish the letter Wednesday.***
Former Phnom Penh police chief Heng Pov is scheduled for a court hearing Wednesday to face extortion charges, after spending nearly two months in Prey Sar prison on criminal charges. Heng Pov was extradited from Malaysia in February on charges related to the murder of a judge and the attempted killing of a military police commander. Since his incarceration, Heng Pov has written a nine-page letter that links the government to a 1997 grenade attack in the capital and the 1999 murder of singer Piseth Pelika.***