Explainer | Rainsy’s in Malaysia, Sokha’s out of jail. Is Cambodia’s Hun Sen in a pickle?
- The Cambodian strongman is under pressure not only from a reinvigorated opposition, but from the European Union, too
- The EU is considering cutting preferential trade terms over human rights allegations
Cambodian strongman Hun Sen’s crackdown on his political opponents continued apace last week, when he called on fellow Southeast Asian nations to arrest senior opposition figures Sam Rainsy and Mu Sochua, accusing them of planning a coup.
They and other officials of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was dissolved ahead of elections in 2017 that poll watchers from Western nations described as farcical, had pledged to return to Cambodia by November 9, the day of its independence from France.
In recent months, Cambodian security forces have arrested close to 50 people accused of fomenting dissent and the military said it would fortify its borders to prevent Rainsy and other figures from entering the country by land.
Police with assault rifles massed at the Poipet border crossing with Thailand on Saturday. In the capital, Phnom Penh, security forces patrolled in pickup trucks during celebrations for the 66th anniversary of independence.
But in a twist, a Cambodian court on Sunday freed Kem Sokha, the co-founder of the CNRP over health concerns. The 66-year-old who was jailed in 2017 over accusations of treason, is forbidden from leaving Cambodia or joining political activities.
Hun Sen, 67, has ruled Cambodia, which has 16 million citizens and is heavily reliant on Chinese investments and tourism, since 1985.
