A Cambodian court has begun a mass trial of 121 members and supporters of opposition party Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was forcefully dissolved in 2017. With several of the defendants in exile, only 34 of the 121 showed up for the trial at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, convinced that the trial would not be fair; the court, however, delayed further proceedings until next year.
The move has been widely criticized by human rights groups on the grounds that it is yet another effort by the head of an “increasingly dictatorial” regime—led by Prime Minister (PM) Hun Sen of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP)—to crush any opposition in what the constitution guarantees is a “liberal, multiparty democracy”. Cambodia’s longstanding PM Sen has been in power since 1985 and has been accused of misusing his power and position—through the support of the Cambodian police, military and senior officials—to efficiently crush dissent and intimidate his opponents.
In November 2017, amidst Sen’s crackdown against political opposition, the Cambodian high court dissolved the CNRP on charges of plotting to topple the government. CNPR members ended up losing all 55 of its seats in the country’s 123 seat parliament, alongside other political positions. The CNRP was expected to be the CPP’s biggest opposition in the 2018 election, but was disbanded.
Following the move, several CNRP members and supporters fled to neighbouring countries, decrying a move that in their eyes marked “the end of democracy in Cambodia”. They have now been charged with conspiracy to commit treason and incitement to commit a felony—both of which total to 12 years in prison according to the Cambodian law.
Only last month, the PM was also accused of threatening families of CNRP members, even of those already in exile. Former lawmaker Ho Vann, who lives in exile but has family in Phnom Penh, is among the many opposition leaders of the now-disbanded CNRP who were issued threats by the authoritarian PM asking him to “stop leading others to jail”.
Among those present for the most recent trial were former opposition senator Thach Setha and Cambodian-American human rights activist and lawyer Theary Seng. Asserting that she was “at peace” because she had “done nothing wrong”, Seng labelled the trial “a sham”, “political theatre”, and “a political circus”. Even back in 2017, Seng’s sentiments were echoed by former CNRP politician Mu Sochua, who dedicated her career to fighting for democracy and women’s rights in Southeast Asia. At the time, Seng called for sanctions on the regime and urged for action from the international community, stating that it could not “let democracy die in Cambodia by refusing to see that it has been dealing with a dictator for the past three decades.”
Given the large size of the group on trial, the hearings have now been split in two for procedural ease and are expected to resume on January 14 and March 4, 2021. Several lawyers also requested additional time, with some defendants seeking permission to pick their own legal representation.
Cambodia Begins Hearing of 121 Opposition Activists
A Cambodian court has convened for the treason trial of several backers of the forcibly dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party.
November 27, 2020
SOURCE: TANG CHHIN SOTHY / AFP