Cambodia’s national assembly has passed a state of emergency law granting the country’s autocratic leader, Hun Sen, vast new powers, in what rights groups say is a cynical move to exploit the coronavirus pandemic.
The legislation, passed on Friday, is expected to further weaken democratic rights in a country that has no functioning opposition and where key political opponents are either in prison or exile.
While human rights experts agreed some restrictions were needed to slow the spread of coronavirus, it is feared that many leaders are using the emergency to grab power.
