Cambodia's Government threatens to crush protests as acting Opposition leader Kem Sokha vows to stay

Updated

For almost four months, Cambodia's acting Opposition leader has chosen to stay within the relative safety of his party's headquarters in Phnom Penh, rather than risk arrest outside on charges many consider politically-motivated.

Key points: Cambodia's acting Opposition leader has been stuck living in a four-storey building in Phnom Penh since May

Kem Sokha was convicted in absentia and sentenced to five months in jail for not attending court

A spokesman for the ruling party says Mr Kem "refuses to accept his own mistakes"

Only a few unusual items have been added to Kem Sokha's room since May — a mattress instead of a desk and a treadmill for exercise.

"This used to be my office, now it's my bedroom," he says, forcing a smile.

Kem Sokha is surrounded by a few private security staff and dozens of supporters, with many thousand more likely to turn up at the four-storey building if police try to arrest the human rights activist-turned-politician.

On September 5, Kem Sokha was convicted in absentia and sentenced to five months in jail for not attending court as a witness in a case against two fellow Opposition MPs.

Their case relates to charges of prostitution against a hairdresser with whom Kem Sokha's had an alleged affair, in what one observer called "a legal fiction that legitimises [the ruling party's] heavy-handed actions".

The sentence is the latest in a long string of legal and physical attacks against the Opposition — the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP).

CNRP president Sam Rainsy has fled the country on several occasions and currently lives in self-imposed exile.

But Kem Sokha said he will not be running away.

"I already made my decision, not just recently, I must stay here with the people," Kem Sokha said.

When asked about the similarities between his case and that of Julian Assange, Kem Sokha pointed instead to other notable agitators — presumably thinking of Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela.

"Yes, I've thought about that [Assange], however some are not just under house arrest but spend 20 or 30 years struggling in jail to achieve democracy and freedom," Kem Sokha said.

The Opposition made significant gains in the 2013 election and stands a real chance of winning the vote in 2018, but few observers believe Cambodia's ruler of 31 years, Hun Sen, will yield power.

'To kill a snake, hit the head'

Kem Sokha is in a tough place politically — trapped between Cambodia's notoriously pliant courts and the accusation he is acting above the law.

He plans to appeal against the charges but that could tie him up in the courts for months, or even years, effectively neutralising him as a political leader.

One option Kem Sokha has floated is mass protests but this was immediately criticised by the ruling party.

"I think his announcement of a mass demonstration is a very poisonous tactic," spokesman for the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Sok Ey San said.

"He refuses to accept his own mistake and uses the people to shield him."

The prospect of protests appeared to hit a nerve with Prime Minister Hun Sen, who used his newfound love of social media to issue dark warnings.

"I order all competent forces to be ready to get rid of all illegal activities in order to protect the happiness of the people, no matter the cost," Hun Sen wrote on Facebook, according to The Cambodia Daily.

"Hit the snake, hit it right on the head first."

About two hours later, troops mobilised with an estimated 30-40 trucks filled with heavily armed soldiers — including the Prime Minister's feared bodyguard unit — driving slowly past CNRP headquarters.

Some soldiers reportedly stopped to urinate outside the Opposition Party building.

In a similar "exercise" two weeks earlier, several military helicopters circled low over the building, while navy speedboats with mounted machine guns patrolled the Bassac River, which backs on to the property.

"This is a threat, an obvious and grave threat against me," Kem Sokha said.

The Government denied it was trying to intimidate the Opposition.

"It's not necessary for those of us in power to threaten him, if any problem arises with Kem Sokha, we can simply arrest him," Sok Ey San said.

Kem Sokha told the ABC the best way out of this impasse is a "political settlement … between the leaders".

Hun Sen has made similar deals before with Sam Rainsy and former opposition leader Prince Norodom Ranariddh, always at the cost of their political leverage and public esteem.

Concerns raised about escalating 'political tensions' in Cambodia

Australia was once a key player in Cambodia's peace process, as it emerged from the Khmer Rouge and civil war, but now it keeps a lower profile.

While more than a dozen diplomatic leaders have visited Kem Sokha at party headquarters, a planned visit from Australia's Ambassador on September 8 was cancelled.

The embassy said there was a scheduling problem, but the Opposition believes Canberra does not want to upset Cambodia, the only country to accept refugees from Nauru.

However, Australia did join 38 nations in a statement on the political situation in Cambodia addressed to the United Nations Human Rights Council this week.

"We are deeply concerned about the current escalation of political tensions in Cambodia, which threatens legitimate activities by opposition parties and human rights NGOs," the statement said.

"There is particular concern about the appearance that legal action is being disproportionately pursued against critics of the Government."

The statement also noted the assassination of political analyst and rights activist Kem Lay, who was shot dead in July by a man who appeared to get on and then off an undercover policeman's motorcycle, before he was arrested further along the street.

"We note the chilling effect this crime has had upon civil society and independent voices in Cambodia," the UN statement said.

In response, Cambodia's representative suggested it might sever ties with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR).

"We are negotiating to continue the [memorandum of understanding] with the OHCHR, but we do not welcome interference in our political situation," permanent representative of Cambodia to the UN Ney Sam Ol wrote.

Last month, Hong Lim, a Cambodian refugee who is now a Victorian MP, was blacklisted from entering his birth country after he made critical remarks about the Government.

Topics: human, world-politics, government-and-politics, cambodia, asia

First posted</s>PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s leader responded angrily Monday to the opposition’s threat to hold nationwide demonstrations, saying such protests could sink any chances of resolving political differences through negotiations.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a speech to graduating students that the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party should speak politely and make a positive gesture if they want to ease tensions.

“To be clear about that, don’t threaten to stage a demonstration for the reason of seeking to resume negotiations. That is no way,” Hun Sen said. “I would be a dog if I were to negotiate (with you).”

He said the opposition should be speaking out in parliament, whose sessions it has stopped attending in protest at the ruling Cambodian People’s Party majority voting to lift the parliamentary immunity of its leaders, a move the opposition considers illegal.

The opposition complains of being harassed by politically influenced courts, after legal cases have forced party leader Sam Rainsy to stay in exile to avoid jail and his deputy Kem Sokha to take refuge behind supporters at party headquarters, where state security forces have gathered in armed shows of strength.

Critics of the government have seen its actions as an attempt to disrupt the opposition’s organizing efforts ahead of local elections next June. The next general election is not until mid-2018, but holding power at the local level is an advantage when national polls are held. Hun Sen has led Cambodia for three decades.

In response to the government actions, Kem Sokha said last week that the party is considering calling for nationwide protests. The opposition has strong support in the capital, and street demonstrations have traditionally been an effective form of push-back, but recent efforts to take to the streets have generally fizzled.

Hun Sen said that if talks were resumed with the opposition, the topics would exclude the legal cases of opposition members. He and his government insist these are criminal matters and not political issues.

A statement issued earlier this month by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern “about the escalating atmosphere of intimidation of opposition politicians, their supporters, civil society, and peaceful demonstrators in Cambodia.” A joint statement issued by several foreign embassies expressed similar concern.

Activists and non-governmental organizations, which are generally critical of the government, have faced similar legal pressures. The murder in July of a prominent social critic, Kem Ley, allegedly by a man to whom he owed money, is widely regarded with suspicion.

On Monday, four prominent land activists were convicted and sentenced to six months each in prison for a protest they held five years ago.

The four women — Tep Vanny, Heng Mom, Bou Chhovy and Kong Chantha — are well known for protesting the eviction of residents from Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak lake community, which was to be turned into a luxury commercial development. They were convicted of insulting and obstructing civil servants.

The Boeung Kak protesters are among the most tireless of the government’s critics.</s>PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s leader has responded angrily to threats of nationwide demonstrations by the opposition, saying they could sink any chances of resolving political differences through negotiations.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a speech to graduating students Monday that the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party should speak politely and make a positive gesture if they want to ease tensions.

The opposition complains that it is being harassed by politically influenced courts, forcing party leader Sam Rainsy to stay in exile to avoid jail and his deputy Kem Sokha to take refuge behind supporters at party headquarters, where armed state security forces have been staging shows of strength. Kem Sokha says the party is considering calling for nationwide protests to force the government to ease the pressure.</s>Cambodia's strongman premier vowed on Monday to "eliminate" his opponents if they push ahead with plans for nationwide protests against an ongoing government crackdown that has sparked international alarm.

The latest rhetoric, some of Prime Minister Hun Sen's strongest in recent months, ratchets up worsening political tensions in the kingdom, which will hold national elections in 2018.

Rights groups have accused long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen's administration of arresting scores of critics and tying up other opponents in legal cases.

The main opposition party's deputy leader Kem Sokha has been holed up for weeks in his office, sleeping on a makeshift bed.

He was handed a jail sentence earlier this month for refusing to appear in court over an alleged sex scandal prosecution that the opposition say is politically motivated.

His party has threatened to hold nationwide demonstrations if moves are made to arrest him or if the crackdown continues.

"Don't threaten (me) with demonstrations in exchange for talks. No way, youngest brother!," Hun Sen said at a university graduation ceremony Monday, in a characteristically lengthy speech.

"This is not just a warning, it is more serious than a warning because it is an order to eliminate those who destroy security and social order," he said, adding that foreign countries had no right to criticise his administration.

Last week a group of 36 states -- including the European Union and the United States -- issued a joint statement saying they were "deeply concerned" about escalating political tensions in Cambodia.

Hun Sen, a former army commander who defected from the Khmer Rouge, has dominated Cambodian politics for the past 31 years.

His administration claims it has brought much needed peace and stability to a nation ravaged by civil war.

But opposition groups have gained ground in recent years amid growing disillusionment with endemic corruption, rights abuses and political repression.

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) accuses Hun Sen of denying it a majority by rigging the 2013 election in his favour, a charge the premier denies.

CNRP's top leader and Hun Sen's chief rival, Sam Rainsy, has spent nearly one year in self-imposed exile to avoid arrest warrants he claims are politically-motivated.

More than a dozen of opposition figures, including two MPs, are currently in prison facing charges, while more than 20 political activists and rights workers have faced legal action over the past year.

Four land activists were sentenced on Monday to six months in jail each for allegedly insulting public officials during a protest in 2011.</s>Cambodian court gives 2 Chinese life in prison for drugs

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian court has sentenced two Chinese nationals to life in prison after convicting them of production and trafficking of heroin and methamphetamine in one of the country's biggest drug trafficking cases.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court found the two men guilty Tuesday of smuggling 55 kilograms (121 pounds) of methamphetamine and heroin worth an estimated $3 million from Laos in June last year. The drugs were believed destined for both Cambodia and third countries.

Two Cambodian men involved in the case also received life sentences, one in absentia as police are still seeking him.

A report earlier this year from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime described Cambodia as an increasingly important hub for smuggling heroin and methamphetamine as well as chemicals used in their manufacture.
Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen says that he will continue his campaign against protests from the Cambodian opposition while Kem Sokha of the Cambodian National Rescue Party vows to remain as their leader.