Amnesty International calls on Cambodian government of Prime Minster Hun Sen to stop pressuring Asean neighbours to harass leaders and members of the disbanded opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, who plan to return to Cambodia on Saturday, Nov. 9. "It is appalling that Hun Sen’s government is trying to co-opt regional neighbours to collude in this blatant abuse," said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s East and South East Asia regional director, in a statement on Thursday.
Just in: US Senators, Ed Markey and Dick Durbin, have introduced a resolution, calling for the peaceful return to Cambodia of opposition party members and democracy activists.
Just In: Cambodian Americans and supporters of Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) gather at the Capitol Hill in Washington DC, calling on people in Cambodia to support the return of CNRP leaders and members who determine to restore democracy and human rights which have been seriously undermined upon the 2013 commune elections
Increased Expectations in Phnom Penh, Concerns about Potential Political Violence, as Politics in Cambodia Churn
Political tensions are simmering in Cambodia. While most people are going about their everyday lives, there is an undercurrent of apprehension. Saturday is the day longtime opposition leader Sam Rainsy pegged as he planned date to return to Cambodia, potentially ending nearly four years of exile.
Sam Rainsy has been in exile since 2015, when an arrest warrant was issued for him, causing him to remain in self-imposed exile. Since then, Cambodian courts have found him guilty on multiple charges, which he says are trumped up.
In August, he announced his planned return to Cambodia on Independence Day, Nov. 9, to be accompanied by Cambodia National Rescue Party colleagues.
Political scientist Lao Mong Hay, the former director of the Khmer Institute for Democracy,said both sides needed to soften the rhetoric and give negotiations a chance.
“[People] want the politicians and leaders to reconcile,” Lao Mong Hay said. “So, why don’t we solve this issue?”