Cambodian Human Rights Committee Remarks on Recent Case of Detained Soldiers and Thai Response | CMAC Confirms Expertise on MK-84 Bomb as Evidence Supports Cambodia’s Claims | Cambodia Denies Thai Media Allegations of Drone Crossings and Urges Troop Return | Cambodia Urges Thailand to Match Words with Actions in Peace Efforts | BREAKING: Cambodia to Facilitate ASEAN Defence Observer Team Visit Along Border Regions in Support of Ceasefire Agreement | BREAKING: Two Suspects Detained in Phnom Penh Over Massive 562-Kilogram Drug Trafficking Case | BREAKING NEWS: Cambodia Responds to Alleged Thai Military Movements Near Border Areas | Breaking News: Hun Sen Warns of Possible Thai Military Strike, Cancels Senate Meeting Tomorrow | Cambodian Defense Spokesperson Reports Calm but Cautions About Possible Developments Along Border | Deputy Prime Minister Sar Sokha Issues Directive Prohibiting UAV Launches in Border Provinces Amid Sovereignty Concerns | Cambodian Leader Hun Sen Warns of Heightened Tensions, Says Military on High Alert as Diplomacy Continues | TOP NEWS: Cambodia Condemns Thai Forces’ Entry into Sovereign Territory, Calls for International Support | BREAKING: Prime Minister Hun Manet Addresses Status of 18 Cambodian Soldiers in Thai Custody | BREAKING: Senate President Hun Sen Questions Thailand’s Refusal to Return 18 Captured Cambodian Soldiers |
Cambodian Human Rights Committee Remarks on Recent Case of Detained Soldiers and Thai Response | CMAC Confirms Expertise on MK-84 Bomb as Evidence Supports Cambodia’s Claims | Cambodia Denies Thai Media Allegations of Drone Crossings and Urges Troop Return | Cambodia Urges Thailand to Match Words with Actions in Peace Efforts | BREAKING: Cambodia to Facilitate ASEAN Defence Observer Team Visit Along Border Regions in Support of Ceasefire Agreement | BREAKING: Two Suspects Detained in Phnom Penh Over Massive 562-Kilogram Drug Trafficking Case | BREAKING NEWS: Cambodia Responds to Alleged Thai Military Movements Near Border Areas | Breaking News: Hun Sen Warns of Possible Thai Military Strike, Cancels Senate Meeting Tomorrow | Cambodian Defense Spokesperson Reports Calm but Cautions About Possible Developments Along Border | Deputy Prime Minister Sar Sokha Issues Directive Prohibiting UAV Launches in Border Provinces Amid Sovereignty Concerns | Cambodian Leader Hun Sen Warns of Heightened Tensions, Says Military on High Alert as Diplomacy Continues | TOP NEWS: Cambodia Condemns Thai Forces’ Entry into Sovereign Territory, Calls for International Support | BREAKING: Prime Minister Hun Manet Addresses Status of 18 Cambodian Soldiers in Thai Custody | BREAKING: Senate President Hun Sen Questions Thailand’s Refusal to Return 18 Captured Cambodian Soldiers |

Sokha Again Distances Himself from Rainsy

Phnom Penh: Cambodia’s former opposition leader, Kem Sokha, is once again distancing himself from his former political partner, Sam Rainsy. He’s also putting space between himself and a handful of new political parties who are using his name to try and garner support ahead of the 2022 Commune Elections. The Director of Sokha’s cabinet, Muth Chantha, took to Facebook this week to launch a broadside against Rainsy who remains in exile in France. He issued a 12-point post that amounted to a political divorce settlement.

As you may know, Sokha is the former leader of the Cambodian National Rescue Party. He’s facing a treason trial but was released on bail in November 2018. The year before he’d been arrested at his home in Phnom Penh and charged with “conspiracy with foreign powers”. That charge relates to comments he allegedly made in 2013 about the United States helping him to push for regime change in the kingdom.

Last November his bail restrictions were eased, still banning him from politics for five years, but allowing him to travel freely within the country although he is still not allowed to travel abroad. Many political figures, including Rainsy, appear to have taken that softening by the courts as a sign that Sokha is fair game and his name is once again carrying political capital.

Sokha, however, is having none of it. Already back in February this year he was issuing statements through his lawyers asking that his former political colleagues not use his name or their previous political associations to try and drum up support for their new parties. At the time, the president of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, Pa Chanroeun, was quoted as saying that the statements from Sokha’s lawyers were fair and aimed at protecting him, with him remaining under a political ban.

Which brings us to this week’s Facebook post by Sokha’s cabinet director, Muth Chantha, which takes aim at Sam Rainsy. He says the exiled former co-leader of the CNRP is the real power behind the newly-formed “National Heart Party” which was approved by the Ministry of Interior back in June. It plans to run for the commune and general elections in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Its registered leader is Siem Phluk, although Muth Chantha believes the strings are really being pulled by former CNRP stalwarts Eng Chhay Eang and Mu Sochua at Rainsy’s direction, who has also been using Facebook and Sokha’s name to drum up support.

He recently posted that “Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha are one and the same person." Chantha says while it all sounds “sweet and meaningful”, he says the opposite is true. He’s accused Rainsy of trying to mislead the masses with the intent to exploit Sokha and make life more difficult for him. In his own Facebook post, Chantha says what Rainsy has done and continues to do, “is contrary to the principles of the CNRP”. He says Rainsy is insulting Sokha’s sacrifice. He goes onto say that Rainsy must take individual responsibility for his own actions and that two people cannot possibly be one and the same.

He’s further accused Rainsy of using his recent slogan to deliberately embed Kem Sokha in politics and link him with other crimes that Rainsy has been convicted of, chief of which was an alleged plot to overthrow the government back in 2019. Rainsy was sentenced in absentia in March this year to 25 years in prison. Chantha says Rainsy’s ongoing rhetoric is extremist and that Sokha remains adamant that he’s staying out of politics and wants others to stop using his name.


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