Two men reportedly facing extradition from Thailand for allegedly defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen have applied for asylum and are under the protection of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, their colleagues claimed Sunday.
Student Movement for Democracy Deputy Secretary-General Ear Channa and Cambodian Independent Civil Servants Association President Man Nath are under UN protection, said Sorn Dara, the Student Movement acting president, and Pho Boromey, spokesman for the civil servants association.
“[Man Nath] is under UNHCR protection,” Pho Boromey said. Sorn Dara claimed that Ear Channa is also under UN protection.
Contacted on Sunday, Deborah Backus, UNHCR spokeswoman in Cambodia, said the refugee agency could not comment, and Thai Ambassador Piyawat Niyomrerks was too busy to comment.
“I am confident that the two men will not be sent back. They might be sent to a third country,” Sorn Dara said.
National Police Commissioner Hok Lundy told reporters on Friday that Thai authorities had agreed to extradite the two men, who fled to Thailand last month after a defamation lawsuit was filed against them on behalf of Hun Sen.
Hok Lundy also reported that Free Trade Union President Chea Mony would be extradited from Thailand though the union’s Secretary-General Mann Seng Hak said on Sunday that Chea Mony was still in Ireland, where he has been staying for the past month.
“We are concerned that Ireland would send him back [to Cambodia],” he added.
Hok Lundy could not be contacted for comment and Deputy Director General of National Police Mao Chandara refused to comment Sunday.
Opposition parliamentarian Son Chhay said he doubted that Thailand would comply with Hok Lundy’s request to extradite the two activists. “The Thai have many rights to refuse the request,” he said.
“The [Thai-Cambodia extradition] treaty states very clearly that political refugees would not be part of the treaty. This is very clear that Hok Lundy just made up the story,” Son Chhay added.
