Politics

In a meeting of prime ministers Wednesday, Cambodia’s Hun Sen appeared to eliminate neighboring Laos as a potential route by which self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy could return to Cambodia as he has pledged to do in November.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith will pay an official visit to Cambodia on Sept. 12-13 during which he will discuss border issues with his Cambodian counterpart Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said a Cambodian foreign ministry statement on Wednesday.

A lawyer for arrested Cambodian opposition chief Kem Sokha on Wednesday rejected government claims this week that his transfer by authorities from prison to house arrest last year while waiting to be tried was a humanitarian gesture representing “release.”

The United States called for the immediate release of Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha Tuesday in a statement issued one week after the second anniversary of his arrest.

Despite the opposition figure’s optimistic assessment, the outlook following his possible return to Cambodia remains unclear.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet hit out on Monday at Cambodian authorities’ harassment of members of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, pointing to the questioning by police of over 100 party activists, and detention of over 20, since the beginning of the year.

The Florida congressman who leads Republicans on the U.S. House Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee continued to stress his opposition to Hun Sen’s regime in Cambodia.

Sam Rainsy, the “acting president” of the Supreme Court-dissolved Camb-odia National Rescue Party (CNRP), on Saturday urged the public to use “people power” when he returns as announced on November 9.

October 23 marks an important date in contemporary Cambodian politics. The collapse of the Soviet Union dried up its long-running military support for Vietnam’s military operations and without Soviet support, Vietnam had no choice but to completely and unconditionally withdraw from Cambodia.

Senior government officials on Thursday defended the Kingdom’s “homegrown” democracy, and hit back at criticisms from foreign countries and former leaders of the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) which claimed it had been set back.

Cambodian authorities arrested a former opposition party activist on Thursday, taking him into custody in northwestern Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province where he had gone to work as a taxi driver, sources told RFA’s Khmer Service as the government of Hun Sen continued legal action against the party it banned nearly two years ago.

Three Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) activists have been placed in pre-trial detention after their arrests over the weekend, a...

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will pay a working visit to Laos on Sept. 5-6, during which he will discuss border issue with his Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith, said a foreign ministry's statement on Wednesday.

The anniversary of the Cambodian opposition leader’s detention this week raises questions about his future.

Cambodia’s opposition chief Kem Sokha has vowed not to “treat my supporters as shields” and urged them to adhere to the principles of nonviolence in a message marking his second year in detention while awaiting trial on treason charges, widely seen as politically motivated.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday criticised sanctions placed by the UN Security Council and powerful countries on smaller states as unjust and impacting nations not involved in disputes.

New Japanese ambassador Masahiro Mikami arrived in Cambodia on Sunday, saying he was delighted to be serving in a country with such a rich culture.

Lawyers for Cambodia's detained opposition leader Kem Sokha called on Monday for treason charges against him to be dropped and for his release from house arrest, two years after he was first arrested ahead of national elections.

Authoritarian PM Hun Sen has reportedly given Beijing the green light for a naval base on the Gulf of Thailand.

Cambodia’s exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy says he will return from France on Nov. 9 to his Southeast Asian homeland, where he faces jail time of 15 years or more.