FINAL COVER OF THE CAMBODIA DAILY →

As Night Editor at the Cambodia Daily, I ran the layout process every night and lead a team of four in designing and proofreading the whole newspaper. I helped lead the design process for our final issue after the newspaper was forced to close due to government pressure.

LATEST UPDATES: CNRP LEADER KEM SOKHA ARRESTED FOR 'TREASON' →

6:45 p.m.: Hing Soksan, the head of the CNRP’s youth wing, said he narrowly escaped arrest this evening as plainclothes police officers swarmed his home in Phnom Penh.

Speaking to reporters by telephone while fleeing his house at around 6 p.m., Mr. Soksan declined to say where he was going, saying only that he was heading somewhere safe.

“The police are raiding my house,” he said. “Now I escaped through the other door…. I cannot say anything about my whereabouts or my house location.”

Kem Monovithiya, the CNRP’s deputy head of public affairs, confirmed the incident but said it was unclear why the youth leader was being threatened with arrest.

1:18 p.m.: The opposition’s meeting to discuss the arrest of its leader is over, but the party would not divulge what—if anything—it has decided to do.

“Any party that harms free and fair elections, please take responsibility yourself and face the international community,” CNRP Vice President Mu Sochua said as she left party headquarters.

Ms. Sochua would not answer questions about the party’s plans, or who could replace Kem Sokha, who has been arrested over accusations of treason, if it came to that.

12:15 p.m.: CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann has left a meeting of party leaders in a rush without speaking to reporters.

The opposition party had been discussing at party headquarters what steps to take after the arrest of its leader, Kem Sokha, overnight.

Earlier, CNRP lawmaker Real Camerin spoke in support of Mr. Sokha before entering the meeting, saying, “My boss, Kem Sokha, never said anything about color revolution. Never told us about a plan to topple the government. Not at all.”

“Kem Sokha, our leader, never wants to make war. I myself have already experienced war. Who wants to experience war again? Why? He wants us to be peaceful and stay calm,” Mr. Camerin said.

11:09 a.m.: “Troops are mobilizing around the city of Tbong Khmum and they’re heading to CC3,” said Ly Heng, an executive committee member for the CNRP in Tbong Khmum province.

The party’s supporters in the province are now gathering to form a plan about what to do, Mr. Heng said.

10:11 a.m.: Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights chairman Charles Santiago has called the arrest of Kem Sokha overnight “alarming,” and an attempt to “crush” and “cripple” the opposition in Cambodia.

“If members of the international community, including and especially donors, fail to speak up and take action now, they risk ending up complicit in Cambodia’s descent into outright dictatorship,” Mr. Santiago said in a statement.

“The arrest of opposition leader Kem Sokha early this morning takes the ongoing crackdown by the ruling party in Cambodia to an alarming new level. With national elections on the horizon, it is clear that this is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to crush the opposition before the campaign even starts. For months, we have been witnessing the escalation of government attempts to cripple the opposition, but it appears now that Prime Minister Hun Sen is so afraid of what might happen in a genuine vote, he won’t allow for competition at all,” Mr. Santiago added.

“Kem Sokha’s arrest is a blatant violation of parliamentary immunity protections under the Cambodian constitution and an affront to the rule of law. He should be immediately and unconditionally released.”

9:40 a.m.: CNRP politicians have started to arrive at party headquarters in Phnom Penh amid ongoing confusion about their leader’s situation, and have questioned whether he was actually moved out of the capital as the Interior Ministry has stated.

Lawmaker Ho Vann told reporters that “it is not confirmed whether or not he is at Correctional Center 3 in Tbong Khmum…. Only Khieu Sopheak said that,” referring to the ministry spokesman.

Mr. Sokha’s daughter Kem Monovithya also tweeted that according to her “reliable source,” her father could still be detained in Phnom Penh.

Mr. Vann added that eight bodyguards had been arrested alongside Mr. Sokha.

7:57 a.m.: Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Kem Sokha had been moved to Correctional Center 3 Prison in Tbong Khmum province at about 1 or 2 a.m. He would not explain why Mr. Sokha had been moved from Phnom Penh, saying it was the courts’ decision.

“The court has the right to decide whatever they can,” General Sopheak said.

Gen. Sopheak added that Mr. Sokha had not yet been charged—“only accused,” he said.

He said Mr. Sokha’s parliamentary immunity did not apply in this case because it was “an on-the-spot arrest,” and authorities had the right to hold him for 72 hours before taking further action.

7:40 a.m.: CNRP Vice President Mu Sochua said party leaders would meet “sometime this morning” to plan the next steps following party president Kem Sokha’s arrest. When asked if the party and its supporters planned to demonstrate against the arrest, Ms. Sochua would only say that the party had already put out a statement condemning it.

“At the moment the top level of CNRP will be meeting this morning, because it all happened very suddenly,” she said.

2:05 a.m. (updated 4:45 a.m.): Cambodia’s opposition leader Kem Sokha has been arrested for “treason” following a raid on his house overnight Sunday, according to a government statement and opposition officials, a move immediately slammed as a “disastrous setback” for human rights and democracy.

The CNRP party president was arrested at his house in the Toul Kok area of Phnom Penh at 12:35 a.m. on Sunday, the statement said.

The government said it had evidence linking Mr. Sokha to a secret plot to “harm” the country, according to the statement released on government mouthpiece Fresh News.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia informs that according to a video clip broadcast on CBN (Cambodian Broadcasting Network) in Australia and other evidence collected, it clearly shows secret plans of a conspiracy between Kem Sokha, others and foreigners to harm the Kingdom of Cambodia.”

“The above act of this secret conspiracy is treason,” added the statement.

The government appealed to people to remain calm and allow the court and police to proceed, it said.

Article 443 of the Criminal Code states that “conspiracy with [a] foreign power”—defined as “having [a] secret agreement with a foreign state or its agents, with a view to fomenting hostilities or aggression against the Kingdom of Cambodia”—is punishable by imprisonment from 15 to 30 years.

The move follows weeks of increasing political tensions, as American democracy NGO the National Democratic Institute was expelled from the country and more than a dozen radio stations carrying content from the opposition and U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia and Voice of America were shut down.

Ten months ahead of a crucial national election, the government has now appeared to have set its sights on the CNRP, the most formidable opponent the ruling party has faced in years. If Mr. Sokha is convicted of a crime, the opposition party could be dissolved under amendments to the Political Party Law that were passed earlier this year and have already forced former party president Sam Rainsy out of politics.

The CNRP issued a statement early Sunday morning condemning the arrest, saying it was “politically motivated” and violated the Constitution.

“The arrest was made in the middle of the night, while Mr. Kem Sokha still has assembly immunity,” the statement said.

“The CNRP appeals to the authorities to unconditionally release Mr. Kem Sokha and ask the international community to intervene for the release, and for the end to intimidation and oppression by police authorities against the CNRP and its officials,” it added.

CNRP Vice President Eng Chhay Eang earlier wrote on his Facebook page that the arrest of Mr. Sokha was a “serious situation for Cambodia,” while Mr. Sokha’s daughter, Kem Monovithya, the CNRP’s deputy director of public affairs, tweeted at 12:35 a.m. that her father’s house was being raided by police.

“Kem Sokha and all bodyguards are taken away by 100-200 police without warrant after they raided his home,” she tweeted.

She later tweeted that he had been handcuffed after “police raided and vandalized his home.”

“Kem Sokha whereabouts is still unknown,” she said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s middle son, Hun Manith, said in a tweet that “Kem Sokha betrayed Cambodia.”

“He confessed to have long term plans with the United States of America…,” said the tweet. “Thank[s] to him, we now know who was (is) the Third Hand…”

Mr. Sokha’s party colleagues were left in shock at the news of their leader’s arrest.

“I never expected this to happen. It is a shock. It will shock the world too,” said CNRP lawmaker Ou Chanrath.

“It could be a misunderstanding. We need to really communicate internally at the national level among our Khmer leaders for the peace and stability of our country.”

Rights groups quickly added their voices to concern at the sudden arrest of Mr. Sokha.

John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, described it as “a disastrous setback for Cambodia’s human rights situation.”

“The government’s charges lack credibility, given its long record of misusing its legal system to silence or intimidate critics and political opponents,” said Mr. Sifton in a statement. “For 33 years, Hun Sen has used violence, threats, corruption, and bogus legal charges to stay in power, and in the last year has been intensifying his attacks on civil society and the political opposition.”

Mr. Sifton called on Cambodia’s allies and donors to condemn “this latest attack on democracy, and summon Cambodian ambassadors abroad to explain their government’s actions.”

“The international community, which provides a major percentage of the Cambodian government’s annual budget, should put Hun Sen on notice that if he doesn’t reverse course, it will be impossible to consider next year’s elections free and fair,” he added.

*I contributed significant reporting and assisted other reporters in covering this major news event on September 3, 2017, the last full day of operation for the Cambodia Daily before it was forced to close by the government: https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/nrp-leader-kem-sokha-arrested-treason-134249/

HUN SEN BACKS TRUMP

BY JONATHAN GREIG AND TAING VIDA

US presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are now on barnstorming tours across the country, making their final appeals to swing voters ahead of next Tuesday’s election.
 

Democratic candidate Ms. Clinton has received an overwhelming number of endorsements from a variety of places, including French President Francois Hollande and a bevy of newspapers, as well as several dozen from senior Republican party members.
 

Yet Republican candidate Mr. Trump will be glad to know there is one extra person supporting his candidacy: Prime Minister Hun Sen.
 

During a speech at the Royal Police Academy yesterday, Mr. Hun Sen told the crowd that he believed the brash billionaire would be better for the world than Ms. Clinton.
 

He said geopolitical trends showed that the world was headed towards another Cold War and one of the reasons for this shift was the US election.
 

It was unusual, he said to the crowd, for the US to have two candidates who were so starkly different.
 

“To be honest, I want Mr. Trump to win so badly,” he said. “If he wins, the world situation will see changes and get even better because Trump is a businessman, and as a businessman, he doesn’t want any war.”
 

The premier went on to say that if Ms. Clinton were to be the next president of the US, the world would “face war” because when she was secretary of state under current president Barack Obama, she advised the president to attack and invade Syria.
 

“If Ms. Clinton wins the US election, relations between the US and China could be difficult. And relations between the US and Russia could be hard to predict,” he said.
 

“However, if Mr. Trump wins the election, I think he could become friends with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.”
 

Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin often compare themselves to one another and Mr. Trump has expressed admiration for the Russian premier’s brand of “leadership.” Many of Mr. Trump’s senior campaign figures have business ties to Russia and a number of former Soviet states.
 

Sadly for Mr. Hun Sen, his beliefs about Mr. Trump’s potential dealings with China do not line up with the candidate’s own comments about the Asian powerhouse.
 

The Republican has repeatedly threatened to start a trade war with China unless they adopt more US-favorable terms in a variety of trade deals. In a March interview with The New York Times, he would not rule out starting a war with China.
 

He has also threatened to go to war with Iran, Mexico, North Korea and a number of other countries if he became president.
 

But Mr. Hun Sen later turned his attention to the effect the election would have on Cambodia, telling the crowd that he was more worried about Ms. Clinton because of her history in supporting US military intervention in foreign conflicts. “He says the truth, unlike Ms. Clinton. Her point of view affects us,” he said.
 

On the other hand, the opposition said the party did not favor either candidate and believed that both Ms. Clinton and Mr. Trump could have an effect on ties between the US and Cambodia.
 

“We all know that the United States is a democratic country where people have total freedom to access information and to speak out,” said Cambodia National Rescue Party spokesperson Yim Sovann.
 

“Our party respects the American voters so we are rooting for no one. We believe both of the candidates will maintain a relationship with Cambodia and other countries.”
 

Yet political analysts in Cambodia have said there is a very decisive difference between the two candidates and worry about Mr. Trump’s lack of a definitive position on Asia outside of trade deals withChina.
 

The unpredictability of his campaign, his own views and his subsequent actions have made it hard to discern how he would approach a country like Cambodia, said Ou Virak, a political analyst and president of the Future Forum.
 

“Hillary wants stronger interna ional relations and will follow some of Obama’s policies,” he said. “I think the relationship between America and Cambodia, including other countries, would not be much different with her, while Trump might change a lot because he is unpredictable.
 

“I expect no change from Ms. Clinton. But for Trump, I believe there would be some changes that concern the international community.
 

“He seems unclear on what he is doing. He talks about Russia but has no clear policies and he may harm the world.”

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31678/hun-sen-plays-his-trump-card/

UN, CPP SPAR ON POLITICAL CLIMATE

BY TAING VIDA AND JONATHAN GREIG

In an open letter to the leaders of Asean member states and the rest of the world, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) yesterday attacked the opposition for allegedly “undermining democracy, political stability and the image of Cambodia in the international arena.”
 

On Monday, the government was caught with egg on its face after shutting down a major road in Phnom Penh in advance of a march which never happened.
 

Phnom Penh residents were stuck for hours and some local news outlets reported sick passengers stuck in endless traffic throughout the morning.
 

Instead of marching with crowds to each embassy, three opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) members handed open letters to the representatives of 15 embassies.
 

The open letters, addressed to leaders of Asean states and signatories of the Paris Peace Agreement (PPA), slammed the government and the CPP for “violating the will of the Cambodian people…as well as the fundamental principles enshrined in the PPA, through the increasingly inhumane abuse of power and suppression of public and personal freedoms, land activists, human rights defenders and opposition leaders and members at all levels have been detained, arrested and sentenced through manipulation of the judicial system.”
 

Interior Minister Sar Kheng, acting as head of a parliamentary majority faction, responded to the opposition with his own letter and discussed the “political reality” of Cambodia and how it contrasted with the way the CNRP presented the country’s political situation to people outside Cambodia.
 

Opposition members, he said, were attempting to use their own privilege to serve themselves rather than fulfill their duties to their constituents. He claimed they were “using parliamentary immunity as a shield to protect themselves when they violate the law and the constitution.”
 

“The CNRP cannot defame or accuse someone of a crime without evidence, or falsifying public documents or inciting violence and consider it an exercise of freedom of expression,” Mr. Kheng wrote. “It is clear that freedom of expression in the country is higher than in many countries in the region, including within Asean.”
 

He went on to say that opposition leaders “think they are above the law” and referenced CNRP leaders Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy as examples, eventually excoriating the party for accusing the government of being behind the murder of political analyst Kem Ley.
 

Mr. Kheng ended the letter by urging the international community to understand the “real” situation in Cambodia and ignore the opposition’s attempts to “ruin the interests and reputation of the country.”
 

Head of the parliamentary minority group Son Chhay could not be reached yesterday, but earlier this week in a press conference he said both sides knew exactly what they were doing and hoped the CPP would restart dialogue between the two sides for the benefit of the country.
 

Mr. Chhay added that at the 28th Asean Summit, which is being held in Laos this week, members of Asean should raise the issue of Cambodia’s political situation with the country’s representatives and find an “immediate solution to prevent the return of policies and practices of the past.”
 

“We call on Asean leaders and leaders of signatories to the Paris Peace Agreement to fulfill their responsibility in pushing Prime Minister Hun Sen to put an immediate end to his dictatorial behavior and grave violation of the PPA,” Mr. Chhay said.
 

The government’s claims that the opposition was misrepresenting Cambodia were challenged on Tuesday in a statement issued by Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
 

During a press conference in Geneva, Ms. Shamdasani expressed concern about the “escalating atmosphere of intimidation of opposition politicians, their supporters, civil society and peaceful demonstrators in Cambodia.”
 

She criticized the ruling party for its questionable ties to the army and recent threats to anyone opposing them.
 

“Over the past few days, a strong show of force was conducted by the armed forces at the headquarters of the main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party,” she said.
 

“This, combined with an increase in rhetoric by high-level army officials, who have vowed to defend the ruling party against political opposition, is deeply worrying.”
 

Addressing the consistent government line that they are only abiding by the law in arresting and prosecuting opposition leaders on what many say are politically-motivated charges, Ms. Shamdasani said Prime Minister Hun Sen and his officials had to “take measures to ensure the safety of all Cambodians, particularly high profile political opponents.”
 

“The weak evidentiary basis of the charges and the accompanying procedural flaws raise serious concerns about the fairness of the proceedings,” she said. “We urge the authorities to adhere strictly to international fair trial standards during the criminal proceedings, including ensuring transparency in the administration of justice.”
 

Finally, she turned her attention to the next elections, saying the government had to do a better job of creating “an environment conducive to the enjoyment of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”
 

Chak Sopheap, director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said she appreciated the UN’s effort to put a spotlight on issues affecting the political situation in the country and said recent government actions illustrated their true fear: the power of the masses.
 

“The procedures outlined in the Law on Peaceful Demonstrations are being routinely ignored and this must be addressed before we reach the campaigning period of the commune elections. The decision by the authorities to shut down such a busy street [on Monday] demonstrates an increasing fear of ‘people power’ as we draw closer to the upcoming elections,” she said.
 

“While it is the legitimate role of the military to protect the elected government, recent statements by senior military figures are extremely concerning as they show explicit loyalty to the ruling party. This is creating an environment which is extremely hostile to the exercise of fundamental freedoms, and which seriously threatens the prospects for free and fair elections.”

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29505/un--cpp-spar-on-political-climate/

US SLAMS PM IN RESOLUTION ON CAMBODIA

Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian government were accused of demonizing and harassing opposition party members and human rights defenders in a harsh resolution passed by the US House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee last week.
 

Even though the bipartisan resolution, written by US Congressmen Alan Lowenthal and Matt Salmon, is largely ceremonial and has no power to force any action or sanctions by the US government, it was passed quickly along with a number of other measures and will now head to the full House Foreign Affairs Committee for a vote.
 

House Resolution 728, co-sponsored by 17 additional House of Representatives members, condemns all political violence allegedly perpetrated by the Cambodian government and calls for “truly” free and fair elections to take place in the country in 2017 and 2018.
 

It lists a selection of events since 2014 illustrating alleged violence faced by unionists, NGO and civil society workers as well as opposition members and supporters during dealings with the government.
 

“I am deeply concerned that there is an accelerated deterioration of democracy and human rights in Cambodia,” Mr. Lowenthal said during a House committee meeting.
 

“This resolution states, unequivocally, that the United States supports an environment in Cambodia that not only respects political opposition, but both human rights and the rule of law.”   
 

Mr. Lowenthal represents Long Beach, California, which has the second largest population of expatriate Cambodians outside Paris. He recently created a Cambodian Caucus in the House of Representatives alongside Ohio Congressman Steve Chabot.
 

Mr. Lowenthal spoke with Kem Sokha, the acting president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), at the party headquarters last Wednesday before slamming the government for putting Mr. Sokha under effective house arrest while also pursuing multiple defamation charges against opposition leader Sam Rainsy, which he contends are politically motivated.
 

This, along with the government’s arrest of National Election Committee official Ny Chakrya, could lead to a distorted and unfair election cycle in the coming years, Mr. Lowenthal said.
 

“It is critical for Cambodia’s standing in the global community that the upcoming general election in 2017 and 2018 be free and fair,” Mr. Lowenthal said. “Credibility for this election can only be achieved if the Hun Sen government ends all political repression and respects the rights and freedoms of the Cambodian people.”
 

The resolution directly addresses Mr. Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), asking them to end the “harassment and intimidation” of opposition party members, drop all charges against opposition leaders and civil society workers and “foster an environment where democracy can thrive and flourish.”
 

Government officials have previously criticized Mr. Lowenthal and the Cambodia Caucus, saying they only speak to opposition party members and seemed to ignore the positive relationship the US has with Cambodia, financially and otherwise.
 

“Our relationship is good. Prime Minister Hun Sen went to California and Mr. Obama did not mention anything related to human rights,” CPP spokesman Sok Ey San said earlier this year when asked about criticism from US lawmakers.
 

“Mr. Obama did not put any pressure on the Cambodian government over human rights issues following criticism by some human rights organizations and CNRP members. He said nothing.”  
 

Representative Dana Rohrabacher, one of the House resolution’s co-sponsors, told the Associated Press that it was “time for Hun Sen to go.”
 

“Whatever happened in the past does not justify Hun Sen’s continuing iron-fisted grip,” he said.
 

The resolution comes on the heels of the brutal murder of prominent government critic Kem Ley. Mr. Ley was murdered only days after speaking out on a recent Global Witness report tying Mr. Hun Sen and his family to some of the country’s largest corporations.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27322/us-slams-pm-in-resolution-on-cambodia/

DUCH: HUN SEN ABOVE ME IN KR

Former S-21 chief Kaing Guek Eav commented on current Prime Minister Hun Sen’s place in the Khmer Rouge hierarchy during yesterday’s hearing for Case 002/02 involving Khmer Rouge leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan.
 

Victor Koppe, a co-lawyer for Mr. Chea, ran all of yesterday’s hearing after a week of questions from the prosecution. Mr. Koppe continued to hammer Mr. Guek Eav, also known as Duch, with questions about dates and his memory before eventually moving on to his place in the Khmer Rouge hierarchy.
 

He started the day by questioning Mr. Guek Eav about when exactly control of the S-21 detention center was handed over to Mr. Chea after his superior Son Sen was transferred to a battle front. Mr. Koppe presented a variety of conflicting dates and testimonies about when the handover happened, but Mr. Guek Eav stuck to his guns and repeatedly said that August 15, 1977, was the exact day it happened.
 

Mr. Guek Eav’s rank within the Khmer Rouge then came to the fore, with Mr. Koppe asking specific questions about where he stood within the regime.
 

“I was in charge of an independent regiment. I was not a high level cadre,” he said. Mr. Guek Eav then compared himself to Mr. Hun Sen, claiming that the current premier had much more power and a higher standing within the Khmer Rouge than he ever did.
 

“He was the secretary of a special unit and a commander of a regiment, but he had combatants on his orders,” he told the court. “His soldiers were fully armed. No one dared to get in his way. I had nothing.”
 

Mr. Guek Eav said he had never known the prime minister personally, but Mr. Koppe continued to question him about Mr. Hun Sen. Mr. Guek Eav repeated his answer, albeit more dismissively.
 

“Hun Sen could flee to Vietnam with his fully armed soldiers, but I could not. I had nothing,” he repeated.
 

The mention of the prime minister comes on the heels of a request released to the public last week by the defense for Mr. Hun Sen and other senior military and government officials to appear in court to testify in the case. The defense has made this request multiple times, but was generally denied access.
 

Even if it was approved, government officials have told media outlets that no one from the government would testify because of parliamentary immunity – an ironic answer to some analysts who say the government is now disregarding the parliamentary immunity of some opposition party members.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26336/duch--hun-sen-above-me-in-kr/

PM'S ELDEST SON DEMANDS FACEBOOK USER’S ARREST FOR DEFAMATION

Prime Minister Hun Sen's eldest son, Hun Manet, filed a defamation complaint to the National Police chief on Friday calling for the arrest of a Facebook user who he claims has insulted him. 

Lieutenant General Manet said a Facebook user known as Chham Chhany had committed public defamation against him by tying him and his mother, Bun Rany, to illegal logging.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Chhany’s account said Lt. Gen. Manet, who serves as a deputy commander in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and Ms. Rany, were working with alleged illegal logging tycoons Lim Bunna and Soeung Sam Ol, both of whom run timber operations in Tbong Khmum province. 

The post alleged there was a dispute between Mr. Bunna and Mr. Sam Ol, each backed by Lt. Gen. Manet and Ms. Rany, respectively. 

“But after Oknha Khna [Mr. Bunna] begged for intervention from Hun Manet, things were changed to ‘legal wood,’ meaning that the two Oknhas still have the opportunity to fell trees, especially to feed Bun Rany and Hun Manet. If they do not feed them enough: imprison, imprison, imprison,” the post said.

International NGO Global Witness was banned from the country after releasing two reports, in 2005 and 2007, linking members of Mr. Hun Sen’s family to the illegal logging trade, including a prominent cousin and his wife. 

The post comes on the heels of a newfound push to crack down on the illegal timber trade in provinces along the border with Vietnam. One of Mr. Bunna’s timber warehouses was raided last week.

"Today, I take legal action against one person named Chham Chhany, who has fabricated stories, which affected my and my family’s honors and decency," Lt. Gen. Manet said. “In any democratic society, every citizen has the rights to freedom of expression. Yet, the exercise of a person’s freedom of expression must be accompanied by a certain degree of personal responsibility.”

Lt. Gen. Manet added that freedom of expression must fall within the confines of the country’s legal framework, and must not infringe on other people’s rights.  

"Any person who violates these two conditions must be held accountable for his/her actions," Lt. Gen. Manet said.

The account in question says Mr. Chhany went to school in the United States and indicates he may be there now.

This story ran on January 23.

KEM SOKHA SACKED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The CPP-dominated National Assembly (NA) sacked key opposition figure Kem Sokha as deputy leader of the Assembly in a legally-disputed vote that was boycotted by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). 

“According to the vote, I would like to announce that Kem Sokha has been removed as National Assembly vice president during the assembly session on October 30,” NA President Heng Samrin said following the vote this morning. All 68 CPP members voted in favor of the measure to remove Mr. Sokha.

The NA session was only supposed to involve votes on the upcoming commune election and internal NA rules, but early this morning, three CNRP members of the permanent committee fought the inclusion of the vote against Mr. Sokha to the agenda to no avail. The CPP holds the majority of seats on the permanent committee.

NA spokesman and CPP lawmaker Chheang Vun said the CPP was waiting for the CNRP to select a new vice president. He denied reports and statements from members of his own party that Mr. Sokha was removed because of the violent protests against him, instead claiming that they made the move because “it was necessary to protect the culture of dialogue and agreement.”

Despite Article 87 of the Constitution, which states that NA presidents or vice presidents can only be replaced in the event of a death or resignation, the CPP defended the legality of the move.

“Mr. Sokha was promoted by the CPP, so he can be removed by the CPP based on an absolute majority vote,” Mr. Vun said.

CNRP members and the party itself have released statements slamming the action, claiming it directly violates the Constitution and the political agreement between both parties.

“55 CNRP lawmakers could not join the NA session today which violated the Constitution and the political agreement between both parties,” the statement read.

CNRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang said the CNRP wanted to have a meeting with the CPP before they submitted a new candidate for vice president.

“If we don’t talk with each other clearly, it will be useless to promote a new candidate,” Mr. Chhay Eang said, adding that the CNRP’s members plan to wait for party president Sam Rainsy to return from Europe before they nominate anyone to replace Mr. Sokha. He said the party will continue to boycott the NA if the Constitution continues to be violated by the ruling party.

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong met with ambassadors from a number of countries, as well as the EU and UN, this afternoon to quell fears of another political stalemate similar to the one that ended in July of last year.

Mr. Sokha is also deputy leader of the CNRP. Tensions between the government and the opposition dramatically heightened this week when CPP-aligned groups held a protest against Mr. Sokha that turned violent. After protests against him in France last weekend, Prime Minister Hun Sen promoted the protest against Mr. Sokha a day before it occurred.

Two CNRP lawmakers were dragged out of their cars during the protest and beaten as they exited the NA during a lunch break. Both have been sent to a private hospital in Bangkok with multiple broken bones and other injuries.

Mr. Sokha himself said in a statement yesterday that he is afraid to return to the country after protesters threw rocks at his house for six hours during the protests against him while his wife stayed locked inside calling the police to no avail. 

This story ran on October 30.

PM APPOINTS SON TO TOP-LEVEL MILITARY POST

Prime Minister Hun Sen promoted his second-oldest son, Hun Manith, to director of military intelligence for the Defense Ministry in a sub-decree last month.

Mr. Manith is the second of Mr. Hun Sen’s sons to be appointed to a top post in the military. His eldest son, Lieutenant General Hun Manet, leads the counterterrorism department.  

Maj. Gen. Manith will take the position from Chea Dara, a four-star general currently serving as the deputy commander in chief of the army, after being the department's deputy. General Dara will keep his position as deputy commander in chief.

Critics of the move have called it nepotism and an effort by Mr. Hun Sen to solidify his family's place in the government and army.

Meas Ny, a political analyst, said that Mr. Hun Sen is afraid of losing control of the military if the Cambodian People's Party loses the next election. The premier has already warned that civil unrest could be sparked by a victory of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party in the next national election, which is scheduled for July 2018.  

“The Intelligence position is very important,” Mr. Ny said. He said the appointment was not merely part of a plan to install a successor for Mr. Hun Sen. Being on top of all information gathered by the military will have an effect on the stability of the government, Mr. Ny explained.  

Dr. Ny added that Mr. Hun Sen was preparing his family for the possibility of an end to CPP rule. Because the prime minister cannot simply select his successor, he is making sure that no matter who is in power, he will still be in control of the upper echelons of the military, Dr. Ny said.

In an interview broadcast in Australia earlier this week Mr. Manet was asked whether he aspired to replace his father. He responded that it was up to the people of Cambodia to choose their leader.

Speculation that one of the prime minister’s sons is being groomed to replace him has escalated in recent weeks.

This story ran on October 23, 2015