The fierce crackdown launched by former Prime Minister Hun Sen in Cambodia against critics of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) has deep historical roots.
The CLV-DTA, which covers 13 provinces in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, was established in 2004. The agreement is framed in an apparently innocuous way, with aims such as cooperation in socio-economic development, defense, and security. For much of its existence, it has drawn little direct political attention, though independent researchers have found that most of the benefits of the agreement accrue to Vietnam.
Cambodia plans to host a summit on the progress of the triangle later this year. The issue came to life on July 23, when Hun Sen, now president of the Senate, took to Facebook to announce that three people had been arrested for spreading false information about the agreement.
