In the run up to Khmer New Year, about 229 prisoners throughout Cambodia are requesting either a pardon or a reduction in their sentence, prison officers said.

Liv Mauv, deputy general of general department of prisons at the Ministry of Interior, said yesterday the department has forwarded each request to the King and that they anticipate the results in one week.

“The prisoners who have requested to the King for a pardon or to reduce their sentence have to follow prison regulation and be willing to correct themselves,” he said.

Liv Mauv added that prisoners who were convicted of serious offences such as murder or robbery were not eligible for a pardon, but may request a reduction in their sentence.

He said that among the 229 prisoners who have made requests to the King, the majority are requesting that their incarceration be reduced by six months.

About 70 prisoners have requested a lengthier reduction, between nine to 12 months, and 21 prisoners are seeking a pardon.

Mauv said he writes a letter to the King three times a year, including Khmer New Year, Visak Bochea Day (Buddha Day) and Water Festival, requesting pardons or sentence reductions for convicts.  

“We want to announce their [prisoners] reduced sentence or pardon during the New Year, but we cannot do it on time because some prisons are late to make a request.”

In 2010, general department of prisons requested the King pardon or reduce sentences for 1,231 prisoners. A total of 182 were pardoned and 1,049 were approved for a reduction in their sentence.