Supporters of a jailed U.S.-Cambodian activist on hunger strike in the Southeast Asian country have renewed a push for her release and called on Washington to press harder for her freedom.
Theary Seng, a Khmer Rouge survivor who is 12 months into a six-year prison sentence for “conspiracy to commit treason,” began refusing food on Monday ahead of elections on Sunday that will almost certainly extend Prime Minister Hun Sen’s 38-year rule.
Observers say Theary’s case highlights both Hun Sen’s intensifying clampdown on dissent and Washington’s dwindling influence as Cambodia deepens ties with Xi Jinping’s China.
