AFP
Opposition officials living in self-imposed exile must find their own way back into Cambodia if they hope to defend themselves against charges of “incitement” and “treason,” a government spokesperson said Friday, because they “organized a coup d’état” and will not be granted passports or visas.
In November, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court summoned at least 113 individuals connected to the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to stand trial together, most of whom face charges of conspiracy and incitement to sow chaos in society crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Presiding judges later split the defendants, including many who live overseas, into two groups for hearings to be held in January and March.
Government Violence Only Benefits Opposition’s Narrative, Says Sar Kheng
21 December 2020
VOA Khmer
Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng delivers a speech at Pailin Provincial Government House on December 21, 2020. (Photo: Facebook/ Sar Kheng)
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PHNOM PENH
Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng said the use of force against demonstrators and opposition activists would only play into the opposition’s narrative that the government was violent and oppressive.
Sar Kheng, who was speaking at the gubernatorial swearing-in ceremony in Pailin province on Monday, said law enforcement should not use excessive force because the opposition was using it to project the government as violent.