Cambodia gov’t rejects concern over opposition leader’s sentence

Opposition leader Kem Sokha, 69, was sentenced to 27 years on charges of treason and is currently under house arrest. Cambodia’s government has accused Western countries of political interference and arrogance after foreign diplomats expressed concern over a 27-year prison sentence handed to popular opposition leader Kem Sokha after his conviction for treason in what was described as a highly politicised trial. The United Nations, European Union, Canada, France, Australia and the United Kingdom all expressed concerns after the sentencing on Friday, while analysts view the treatment of Kem Sokha as symptomatic of Cambodia’s stifled democracy ahead of elections in July that look set to return Hun Sen’s ruling party to another five years in power owing to repression of the political opposition. Calls on govt to ensure environment for free elections and to protect civil/political rights of all: https://t.co/YntlAwmiL9 — UN Human Rights March 3, 2023 “Kem Sokha’s conviction is part of a larger pattern of threats, harassment, and other unacceptable actions by Cambodian authorities to target political opposition leaders, media, and civil society,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Two months after Kem Sokha’s arrest in 2017, Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved his CNRP, once considered the sole viable political opposition to Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party, which has effectively held power since 1979.