Cries For Justice On Anniversary of Cambodia Critic’s Murder

Thousands gathered on Sunday at the grave of a prominent Cambodian critic who was gunned down a year ago in a murder that sparked widespread anger and scepticism over the alleged killer’s motives. Kem Ley, a popular and charismatic political analyst, was shot twice in the head as he sipped coffee in Phnom Penh — … Read more

Official Results Confirm Cambodian Opposition Gains

Cambodian election authorities on Sunday released final results from this month’s local polls, confirming that the opposition to the country’s strongman leader made significant gains. More than seven million people voted on June 4, testing the political temperature of a country rife with tension between Prime Minister Hun Sen and an embattled opposition determined to … Read more

Cambodian Opposition Make Gains In Local Elections

Cambodia’s embattled opposition made significant gains in this weekend’s local elections, early results showed Monday, a vote closely watched for signs of vulnerability in one of the world’s longest serving leaders. More than seven million Cambodians voted in Sunday’s commune elections, the first time they have headed to the polls since 2013’s disputed election result. … Read more

Local Cambodia Polls Test Strongman’s Popularity

Millions of Cambodians started voting in local polls on Sunday, testing the political temperature of a country rife with tension between its strongman premier and an embattled opposition determined to end his three-decade rule. Prime Minister Hun Sen has run Cambodia for 32-years, one of the world’s longest serving leaders. Supporters see the 64-year-old as … Read more

Cambodia Wielding ‘court of Injustice’ Ahead of Polls

Cambodia’s government has ramped up use of the courts to harass political activists and rights defenders ahead of elections, Amnesty International said Tuesday, warning the climate of fear was likely to get worse. Millions of Cambodians will head to the polls on Sunday for local elections across more than 1,600 communes — an early litmus … Read more

Tuk-Tuks and Flags As Cambodia Opposition Eyes Bellwether Local Polls

Tuk-tuks blaring pop music and flag-waving supporters of Cambodia’s embattled opposition led a rally on Saturday for upcoming local elections, a bellwether for efforts to end the three-decade rule of strongman Hun Sen in next year’s national polls. The June 4 vote in more than 1,600 communes — administrative clusters of villages — will take … Read more

Cambodian PM Threatens Poll Protesters With ‘war’

Cambodia’s strongman premier Hun Sen warned Wednesday that he would not hesitate to quash protests with military might if they turn violent, raising tensions as the country braces for elections. Hun Sen is preparing for local polls in June and a 2018 national election after clamping down on opposition figures trying to break his 32-year … Read more

Cambodian PM Asks US To Stop Deporting Criminals

Cambodian leader Hun Sen called on the United States on Thursday to stop forcibly deporting convicts with Cambodian heritage to the Southeast Asian nation, saying they should revise a policy that splits up families. More than 500 felons have been sent to Cambodia through a repatriation deal, though many were raised in the US and … Read more

Cambodia Slaps Exiled Opposition Leader With New Jail Term

Self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced to 20 months in prison by a Cambodian court Thursday for accusing the government of assassinating a prominent critic. The verdict is the latest legal case to hamper an opposition movement struggling to break Prime Minister Hun Sen’s 32-year grip on power. The defamation charge centred around the … Read more

Cambodia PM Empowers Court To Dissolve Rival Parties

Cambodia’s parliament passed a law Monday giving judges sweeping powers to dissolve political parties, a move seen as a brazen attempt by premier Hun Sen to checkmate his opponents ahead of next year’s polls. Hun Sen, who for three decades has led the country with force and political guile, has used the kingdom’s pliant courts … Read more

Cambodian Opposition To Meet After Leader’s Shock Resignation

Cambodia’s opposition party was set to meet on Sunday after the shock resignation of its founder and leader, an official said, with the movement increasingly boxed in by the country’s strongman premier. Sam Rainsy, who has been at the forefront of the kingdom’s opposition scene for two decades, announced his resignation from the Cambodia National … Read more

Cambodia Opposition Leader Resigns For ‘sake of Party’

The self-exiled leader of Cambodia’s opposition party said Saturday he would resign his post, a shock blow to a movement struggling to unseat the country’s authoritarian premier. Sam Rainsy, who has led the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) since its creation in 2012 and has spent over a year in France to avoid several lawsuits, … Read more