PHNOM PENH: Former CNRP President Kem Sokha has declared that what he is doing is possible under his circumstances and without any coercion or intimidation. His assertion now is in response to Sam Rainsy's assertion that Kem Sokha's announcement to sever ties with Sam Rainsy stemmed from Prime minister Hun Sen's threats.
On Wednesday morning, Kem Sokha wrote: "I do what I can to the best of my ability, under the circumstances, and with my true will. I do not follow anyone's threats. Not me, especially what I advertise in my official page.”
He wrote the statement, accompanied by several pictures of his activities last November.
After the 2012 commune council elections, the Sam Rainsy Party, led by Sam Rainsy, and the Human Rights Party, led by Kem Sokha, merged to form the CNRP to run in the 2013 parliamentary elections.
However, on 28 November, Kem Sokha came out to confirm that he was no longer involved with Sam Rainsy and called on Sam Rainsy and his party to stop linking his name to Sam Rainsy.
Kem Sokha wrote on his Facebook page that Sam Rainsy and his party had linked his name to Sam Rainsy's political activities without his permission. He added that Sam Rainsy had walked away from ties and the original spirit of unity to form various political movements and positions, and even supported his former party, the Candlelight Party, as an affirmative act that Sam Rainsy-Kem Sokha is not the same person because all these activities did not come from Kem Sokha's thoughts.
On Tuesday, Kem Sokha's youngest daughter, Kem Samathida wrote on her Twitter account that she rejected any information that was painted on her family and that her family had suffered because of Sam Rainsy's allegations for many years.
In a Twitter message, Kem Samathida has said that since her father was arrested, Sam Rainsy and his partner had started a campaign to paint her father and try to silence his partner. She considers the actions of Sam Rainsy and his allies as the activities of dictators and the use of their biased media to destroy others.
