PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — The leader of Cambodia’s recently formed opposition party has been charged with disturbing public order, his lawyer said Saturday, the third major lawsuit this month targeting critics of the prime minister’s government. Hun Manet,
According to reporter Cheong Kyaw Ng-gi, Sung Chanthi, from the National Power Party, which was founded late last year, was formally charged by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday and was in pre-trial detention in the northwestern province of Pursat. If found guilty, Sung Chanthi could be sentenced to six months to two years in prison and will seek bail on Monday, he said.
Cambodia’s government has long been accused of using the justice system to persecute critics and political opponents. While the government claims to promote the rule of law in an electoral democracy, parties seen as posing a strong challenge to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party have been dissolved by the courts, their leaders jailed or harassed.
San Chanthi, 41, was arrested at Phnom Penh International Airport on Thursday after returning from a trip to Japan, where he held a meeting with hundreds of overseas Cambodian workers. He spoke of his hope that the government would give more freedoms to the opposition.
In comments posted on his Facebook page, he criticized the policies of Hun Manet’s government, which has increased the country’s debt to foreign countries while forcing people to borrow money from banks.
San Chanty also reportedly criticized a government program that issues special cards to poor families so they can receive social welfare payments.
In a statement, the Justice Ministry said he was charged with his comments about the cards for “distorting information” to dishonestly suggest the cards were only distributed to people who joined the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
San Chanty’s National Power party said his arrest was an act of intimidation that had a serious impact on the country’s democratization process and called for his unconditional release.
Cambodia during his time as a former prime minister Hun SenIn power for nearly four decades, he was widely criticized for human rights violations, including the suppression of freedom of speech and association. Last year, his son, Hun ManetHowever, there are few signs of political liberalization.
San Chantei’s detention came just days after the arrest of trade union leaders. Morum Ritthi The same court sentenced him to 18 months in prison two years ago for making comments on a Facebook Live stream criticizing the arrest of a casino employee.
On May 3, Cambodia’s High Court upheld the two-year prison sentence of a prominent female trade union leader. Chim SitarThe chairman of NagaWorld’s Khmer Employees’ Labor Rights Support Union, he was originally convicted in May 2023 of inciting workers at the Phnom Penh casino resort to commit a felony during a long-running strike.
San Chanthy was once a top leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party and had close ties to its leader, Sam Rainsy, who for decades was the Cambodian People’s Party’s fiercest critic and most popular opponent. Sam Rainsy has been living in exile since 2016 to avoid serving a prison sentence for defamation, treason and other charges that his supporters believe are politically motivated.
Cambodia National Rescue Party It was expected to mount a strong challenge to the ruling party in the 2018 general election, but as part of a sweeping pre-election crackdown on the opposition, the Supreme Court dissolved it and the Cambodian People’s Party subsequently won all seats in Parliament.
San Chantee joins in Candlelight PartyHe is the successor to the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was barred from running in last year’s general election on technical grounds. He left the Candlelight Party and helped form the People Power Party in October last year.
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Peck reported from Bangkok.