Cambodian opposition leader charged with treason

Arrest part of 'escalating' government crackdown ahead of next year's general election

Opposition leader Kem Sokha addresses a rally in Phnom Penh in 2014
(Image credit: Omar Havana/Getty Images)

Cambodia's main opposition leader has been charged with treason and could face up to 30 years in jail, as part of a crackdown on dissent by the government ahead of next year's general election.

Kem Sokha was arrested on Sunday for allegedly plotting with the US to undermine the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Issuing the charges, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court said that "the act of secret collusion with foreigners is an act of treason".

Sokha's arrest is part of what Reuters calls an "escalating crackdown on critics" by the government. Pro-government website Fresh News said there could be further arrests of officials from the opposition party in the case.

The news agency says the arrest of Kem Sokha and growing pressure on independent media and rights groups "have drawn condemnation from the US and other Western countries, which have raised doubts over whether a general election next year can be fair".

However, while next year's election could represent the greatest challenge to Hun Sen during more than three decades in power, the Prime Minister and his ruling Cambodian People's Party still enjoy the strong support of China, which has made him one of its closest regional allies and provided billions of pounds in infrastructure loans.

Explore More