President Hun Sen’s threat of “war” has raised fears that the results of next month’s local elections contested by opposition parties could lead to instability.
Cambodia’s prime minister has warned opposition parties that he will crack down if post-election protests turn violent.
The strong words have raised concerns that the Southeast Asian country could be plunged into chaos if the results of next month’s local elections are contested by opposition parties.
Hun Sen’s warning on Wednesday was a reference to protests in 2013 when supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) destroyed at least two police cars following allegations of voter fraud. .
|
Cambodia’s Deadly Politics – 101 East |
He told a gathering of former soldiers that protests of a similar nature were unacceptable.
“Remember during the 2017 and 2018 elections. If your group indulges in such activities again, the military will crack down quickly,” Hun Sen said.
“If a war breaks out, let it be.”
Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPR) won the 2013 national election, but lost its majority.
Since then, it has ignored opposition demands for an election investigation.
Cambodian human rights activist Virak Ou said in an interview with Al Jazeera that Hun Sen was playing “mind games to incite fear to gain an advantage in future opinion polls.”
“That might work because Cambodians still bear the scars of decades of war and violence. It won’t work for young people born after the war,” he says.
“There are too many risks if war or serious violence breaks out. No one seems to want this.”
Preparation for elections
Cambodians will vote in local elections on June 4, with national elections scheduled for July next year.
Sam Rainsy, Cambodia’s self-exiled opposition leader, resigned from the CNRP in 2015 in response to Hun Sen’s plan to amend the Political Parties Law to bar convicted officials from running for office.
Sam Rainsy was found guilty of defamation in a Phnom Penh court, but his supporters say the charges are politically motivated.
Read: Thousands of Cambodians call on PM to resign
Kem Sokha, acting party leader, is expected to lead the party ahead of local government elections in June.
Hun Sen, a former army soldier, became president in 1985, when Cambodia was recovering from the devastation of the Khmer Rouge. The regime was responsible for the deaths of up to 2 million Cambodians.
He has ruled the country for almost 32 years, amassing wide control over the judicial system, security forces and economy.
Under his rule, Cambodia transformed into one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, but Human rights violations continue.