HRW denounces that the Government of Cambodia increases political persecution ahead of the elections

24 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The Human Rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has denounced that the Government of Cambodia has increased its attacks against opposition politicians in a possible maneuver ahead of the general elections scheduled in the country for July this year.

The organization’s deputy director of Asia, Phil Robertson, has accused Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen of “using every repressive tool at his disposal to get rid of all political opposition before the July elections.”

“Foreign governments should send a clear and public message that dismantling opposition parties and disqualifying, assaulting and arresting their members before election day means there will be no real elections,” it added in a statement.

Specifically, HRW has criticized a speech that the ‘premier’ made on January 9, when he offered his opponents “the decision between accepting the rulings of the courts, which the ruling party has controlled for a long time, or violence.” .

Since that speech, they have denounced, seven acts of violence directed at six members of the opposition have been documented, four of whom were later interviewed by HRW to hear their testimonies.

In addition to the assaults, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court has sentenced thirteen other opposition members to prison for crimes that may be politically motivated, one of them being the co-founder of the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), Seam Pluk, that on March 24 he was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

“Cambodia’s allies should call on the government to immediately release detained opposition activists, and to remove all unnecessary barriers to political participation,” Robertson said.