A Cambodia court sentenced an eminent politician of an incentive opposition and sentenced him to four years in prison, in the last legal decision to stifle the government of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
Rong Chhun, one of the main advisers of the newly formed Power Party Nation, was found guilty of prompting social disorders linked to its political activity to meet villagers inappropriate by government construction projects, including the new International Airport in Phnom Penh.
In addition to the prison mandate, it was prohibited to go to the elections and to vote.
The 56-year-old man denied the accusation of incitement, saying that all he had done was to publish photos of himself with the villagers and comments on Facebook.
“This is not a question of applying the law,” Rong told journalists after the verdict. “This is politics.”
He remains free for a month with the possibility of posing a call, which he said that he intended to do.
The United States Embassy, which criticized the human rights dossier in Cambodia, had an observer at the hearing but did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
The allegations of incitement are frequently used by the authorities of Cambodia against opponents.
Rong has already been sentenced to two years for incitement in 2021, on the accusations, he disseminated false information on the Cambodia border with Vietnam after meeting farmers in the region.
He was released later the same year by a court of appeal.
The government of Cambodia has long been accused of having used the justice system to persecute criticism and political opponents.
He insisted on the fact that he promotes the rule of law under an electoral democracy, but the political parties considered to be strong challenges in the Cambodian people party in power were dissolved by the courts or made their leaders imprison or harassed.
Under nearly four decades of former autocratic Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia was widely criticized for human rights violations which included the abolition of freedom of expression and association.
He was succeeded in August 2023 by his American educated son Hun Manet, but there have been few signs of political liberalization.
At the end of last year, the president of the Power Party nation, Sun Chanth, was himself found guilty of incitement to social unrest and sentenced to two years.
ADVERTISEMENTSun had been one of the main leaders of the former National Rescue Party of Cambodia, who was to present a strong challenge to the Hun Sen power party in the 2018 elections, but was dissolved by the High Court within the framework of a radical repression against the opposition.
Sun then joined the candlelit party, the successor to Cambodia National Rescue Party, but in turn, it was prohibited to compete with the general elections of 2023 on technicality.
He then helped to train the Power Party nation at the end of 2023, with Rong Chhun and others.
After his conviction on Monday, Rong said that he was not surprised by the verdict and promised to continue “actively to protect the Constitution”.
ADVERTISEMENTHe urged members of the Power Party nation to stay in the course while he is serving his sentence.
“Let's not lose heart,” he said. “We all have to be strong.”
