Acting president of Cambodia’s banned opposition party Sam Rainsy traveled to Washington on Wednesday to request “protections” from the U.S. government ahead of his planned return from self-imposed exile, amid threats of arrest by Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Sam Rainsy was expected to meet with officials from the Department of Defense and State Department, as well as lawmakers from the U.S. Senate, on Wednesday to enlist their help as he prepares to reenter Cambodia along with several other high-ranking officials from his Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) on Nov. 9, to coincide with the 66th anniversary of Cambodia’s independence from France.
“We would like the U.S. to provide protections for Sam Rainsy,” Pon Saory, the General Secretary of the CNRP Overseas (CNRP-O) told RFA’s Khmer Service, without providing details of the request, other than that the party will also call on the Senate to “establish a committee to monitor” the acting opposition chief’s return.
In full: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/protections-09182019160728.html
