Court probes 'euthanasia tourism' site

An American expatriate has been summoned by a Cambodian court over his websites that promote the country as a destination for people who want to kill themselves, officials say.

Kampot provincial court chief prosecutor Uk Kimsith said he sent a letter to Californian Roger Graham, 57, on Tuesday ordering him to appear in two weeks over a lawsuit filed by a provincial governor.

Uk Kimsith said governor Puth Chandarith had filed the suit accusing Graham of releasing false information and defaming the province on his websites, www.euthanasiaincambodia.com and www.asian-hearts.com, which he said encourages foreigners to end their lives in Cambodia.

Both websites have been taken offline since the case was filed, but they still carry the banner: "You're going to die anyway, so why not in Cambodia?"

"I summoned him to appear in court on November 24 regarding the governor's lawsuit that was filed against Graham for releasing false information and defaming the province," Uk Kimsith said by telephone.

"I cannot say how long he would face (imprisonment) because we have not charged him yet," the prosecutor said.

Puth Chandarith said he had recieved around 30 complaints from foreigners about the website.

"They supported my legal action against him. He released false information and defamed my province," Puth Chandarith said.

"Kampot is not a place for people to come to commit suicide," he said.

Graham, who owns the Blue Mountain Coffee and Internet Cafe in Kampot, a quiet coastal backwater, appeared not to understand why people were making such a fuss.

"It was a nice quiet little website," he told the English-language Cambodia Daily newspaper. "Now it's blown into this circus and it's a bit much for me."

Kampot is about 130km southwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.

Graham reportedly came to Cambodia in 2003 from Paradise, California.

AFP

• React to this article
• Submit a news tip