Free thought with limits cambodias Opposition Leader is released from house arrest about his colleagues face hurdles as they try to return from exile can they maintain pressure on the Prime Minister despite a government crackdown this is inside story. Hello and welcome to the program im the stasi attain cambodias Prime Minister hun sen has silenced nearly all voices of dissent in recent years his government has shut down independent media and dissolved the main Opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party or see an r. P. Now a prominent say an r. P. Leader has been freed after a year of house arrest but still faces severe restrictions and is banned from leaving the country meanwhile his colleagues including Prominent Party cofounder sam rainsy are facing challenges of their own as they try to return to cambodia from exile and this is all happening as the Government FacesInternational Pressure for undermining democracy and human rights will bring in our guest in just a moment but 1st this report from wayne hay whos in phnom penh. The president of the Opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party spent his 1st full day of relative Freedom Still in his home in the capital phnom penh he met diplomats the 1st was the ambassador of france which is one of the countries applying most pressure on the cambodian government. Didnt talk to the media but his spokesman said the meetings were an opportunity to say thank you it just to visit to express greetings. And threats and the personal. Is still banned from Political Activities and the charge of treason against him stands the decision to end his house arrest came the day after the acting president of his party sam rainsy flew into malaysia from exile in france saying hell return to cambodia. The security has been deployed on the streets of phnom penh as a warning to anyone thinking of helping him achieve his stated goal of overthrowing the government on tuesday the European Union will deliver a report to Prime Minister hun sens government outlining its concerns over a decline in democracy and human rights. Its threatening to withdraw cambodias preferential trade agreement if significant improvements arent made but the ruling party says the courts decision on cam was not made in response to that threats. This is the opinion of outlawed rebels who have always taken up the issue of the cambodian government came so close cases under the control of the courts so its not relevant. The developments come in the middle of an important holiday in cambodia the annual water festival. Politics is absent as crews and boats from around the country converge on the capital to mark the end of the wit season when the tunnel asap river changes direction even if the government is able to appease the European Union there are. Big question marks over whether theyll be any significant space in the short term for the Cambodian National risky party Prime Minister who in sin has tried very hard to destroy the threat posed by the opposition that undoing the damage completely now seems unlikely. Still the members of the band party see the International Pressure and attention as an opportunity to try to restart their political careers and resume the campaign to change this countrys direction when hate paying for insights to. Now that crack down on the Opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party or see an r. P. Intensified after it made gains in elections in 2002017 party cofounder sam rainsy went into self exile hes been convicted of several crimes in absentia charges his supporters say are all politically motivated fellow cofounder of the c. An r. P. Cum soccer was arrested for treason more than 2 years ago the Supreme Court dissolved the National Rescue party in the run up to last years general election several independent Media Outlets have been forced to shut down and dozens of c. An r. P. Supporters have been arrested this year accused of plotting to overthrow Prime Minister hun sen. Well lets bring in our guests now in kuala lumpur we are privileged to have sam rainsy acting president of the Cambodian National rescue party on skype from singapore that is graham on the web hes a Research Fellow at the s. Rajaratnam school of International Studies and also on skype from bangkok benjamins a wacky who is an independent Southeast Asia analyst and author welcome to you all. Mr randi i have to start with the big question here do you plan to return to cambodia despite the threat of necessity a rest when you get back. Diffidently we will go back to cambodia it is not only our right but its our duty to go back to our country to our home country how soon could we see you go back to cambodia and how do you plan to get there get there have been a number of the just a talent and so far things can change because we are combining internal pressure with external pressure on the one side and the regime so that they will let us in it a peaceful way we will go back to cambodia mr india talk me through your decision to return to cambodia at this time because i know you set yourself deadline almost of the 9th of november and we are having this this European Union decision that we will hear about on tuesday about the preferential trade agreement and you talked about internal and external pressures so is this a strategic time then for you to go back to cambodia in the hope that you might be able to leverage some of that for some change yes very much so have the Thai Government not blocked me from prevent that the from going back to cambodia i would have been in cambodia already by the names of for november but now there is another date important date is when the European Union is going to release their report and make their decision whether to suspend a system of trade privileges are not and the decease a very powerful leverage to put pressure under one side regime to restore democracy so mr rains even let me ask you the question again when do you expect to return to cambodia it can be any time because the population. He still mobilize our network is ready and the International Pressure is mounting so we are turning point i would say at the Tipping Point you talk about this Tipping Point and its also a Tipping Point potentially for the sea an r. P. I know animal can suck has now been released from house arrest but he is still facing restrictions and isnt allowed to participate in politics i know you and he have had some differences of opinion in the past so where do you see your role in the party now we would call for a Popular Uprising if one side does not restore democracy then there will be International Sanction factories will be close. Hundreds of thousands of workers will lose their job then we will call on those factory workers and their families to rise up it is because of one sign that they lose their job if they dont do anything they will lose their job so we have to do our best to preserve the jobs of hundreds of thousands of workers and the livelihoods of their families when you say you are calling for a Popular Uprising then is there a concern that there could be violence we have seen this crackdown on the part of the government and now you are asking potentially thousands of people to come out onto the streets and there has been a lot of violence in cambodia and its history could there be as a civil war no we will follow the example of the filipino people are a 9096. 00 when there was a peaceful Popular Uprising forcing the dictator at that time Ferdinand Marcos to lead a country i think this can happen. In cambodia always one sign also fleeing the country and to pressure from. The crowd let me ask you this then mr raines at a time of great tension in cambodia you faced criticism from some people who have questioned your courage about not returning from selfimposed exile and you still havent yet managed to make it back to the country what would you say to those people i did return asked promise on did 19th july 23rd teen it was a successful return and i was well come by hundreds of thousands of people and we made significant again the election that took place or 10 days later had the election been honest and transparent free and fair we would have won already so in the meantime the popular discontent against on sunday sheen has increased so you people are really waiting for a change a positive change i did look at the change they are waiting for a signal the signal will be d. Return of the c. N. R. Be the Opposition Leadership once we are into country there will be a Popular Uprising we call on the army not to shoot others and to turn down a gun against the dictator so this will be really be turning a Tipping Point well at this Tipping Point i mean to broaden out the discussion graham let me ask you as someone whos been watching can i get politics from from outside of the country how united in your mind is the cambodian opposition now and is is an uprising like thats possible. Well i think any any of photos of our terrible year and there have been in a country where that have been or 2 found in europe brought within the region im quite see what the level of support is i mean you know to support a significant are if im not wrong figures put it we are human and supporters of the senior c. N. N. R. T. And with the 10000000. 00 dismantlement of us the marquis of years ago you can wish we treat 3000000 supporters just like that theres also a sense from various respects that kim borden use may be very well aspiring to change unlike with the. Normal sight guys if you like for thoughtful more space for the freedom of expression which comes at loggerheads with all the demographic with jim so i think that is not grounds to suppose that it is support for a c n r p but of course you only when the rubber hits the road wins some rienzi mixes such as return true we see what the kind of our support and genders benjamin let me throw that question at you because then the next election will actually only be 2023 right but give me a read on your take on the pledge of atmosphere in the country at the moment if an election where to happen tomorrow would we save one cent hold on to power. Well that depends on whether or not the voice of the people will be allowed to stand and whats very interesting is when it is surveys that have been conducted of late among people and what they show is that the population for the large part supports the kind of pressure being placed on the hudson government by the e. U. As as mr ramsey said and also by the United States the results or at least the results that were not allowed to stand in the in 2018 election suggest that her son would be under considerable pressure domestically as well as as mentioned internationally to see the results to the Opposition Party which is one of the reasons i think hes reading much more easily knowing that you doesnt need to stand again for what for for 33 or 4 more years at this point so the kind of the domestic and external pressure will have some more time to get to work on the situation there. Lets talk about this timing and graham i do want to ask you about this this timing around the e. U. Decision and to potentially remove this trade deal with cambodia which could potentially affect. Cambodian exports so right now and here think that this is a potential diplomatic sleight of hand to try to get can suck out of house arrest and get everyone looking the other way say look this is this is a relaxation of restrictions we are opening up to the Democratic Change potentially and so please dont dont take out trade partnership. Now senator cos this is all well timed and this is a complete that just schools not only by. Going to and government in response to these recent purchase by the European Union was a movie by stretch ministration but not so much and of course you will see an arche. On i 790 not just in order to. Time it to death certificate bondage so if things are time do we send somebody pence then will cost you if i want to thank them or you and presumably if i can say so he will such when he. Doesnt get arrested but he does get us the because that would be a game changer those are the response by you you will see this very hot and you will presumably trigger these sanctions all the freezing of the trait of friendship preferential trade on states as a kind of what is known joints at benjamin so this trade agreements the everything that honest trade agreements and if that is dropped who will then suffer the most because as as mr randi was saying that there is a large amount of low income wackos within the government to industry presumably theyre going to todays their jobs and will it have the intended effect when it comes to political change all or could it just manage a huge amount of economic suffering well it really depends i mean when you look at the International Situation for example china could could make a move to to step in and try to mitigate against the ill effects on the average person should that that the trade preferences be dropped china is at the moment the largest trading partner with cambodia its largest foreign investor its single largest bilateral donor and happens to be its largest source of forms were ism the belt Road Initiative chinas Signature International policy has been largely embraced within cambodia at least at the top through the c. N. N. Bill especially Economic Zone in a related highway and so. Definitely possible that if the local economy and local people are are are hurt either by your e. U. Or u. S. Sanctions relating to trade references the same things are being considered by the us congress as are being considered by by the European Union its possible that china will seek to further deepen its not influence in the country by by filling that void in stepping in and trying to give enough aid to not only to to mitigate the ill effects of that but also to turn the tide of Public Opinion that i mentioned earlier whereby you have a population thats largely in support of the pressure thats being applied and then even if the government itself is resisting that pressure mr raines youve been talking to various different western palace about change in cambodia and youve also been watching the cambodia china relationship quite a closer and closer in recent is how much has that changed things has that given you some leverage in terms of and courage ing and perhaps western nations to want to might want to cut tail chinese influence in the region to maybe get a little bit more proactive about whats happening in cambodia. Yes this is serious source for concern. Is becoming a chinese so quality for the 1st time we see china sending hundreds of thousands of settlers they are not ordinary tourists they have come to cambodia to stay through said they are there so we are very worried and they come they they bribe the or 30 days or to take our land to take our jobs or they behave as if they werent a buster of the land so people are very upset and on top of that the government has given china a lot of fuss cities and those facilities can be turned into military facilities overnight to very quickly not only a source of concern for economic reason but it is a source of tension in the region this can a certain peace and stability in the region it is widely issue of 2 restoring democracy in cambodia and the issue of maintaining just neutrality preventing china from a Building Military capacity in cambodia is interrelated consigned has. Chosen to be on china as a side this is a danger not only for cambodia but for the whole region so restoring democracy in cambodia means also or ensuring. Neutrality and independence and preventing any foreign power from building any military facility in cambodia mr enzio talking about increasing regional tensions that you are currently in malaysia and malaysia and cambodia both members of afghan and assy and has a policy of noninterference in each others affairs but i think that malaysia has detained a number of opposition members from your party and in the last few days at the request of phnom penh do you think that asio and as a body is doing enough to pressure cambodia. Things are changing i think the values of democracy of human rights are being promoted more and more clearly by a number of countries im thinking of malaysia im thinking of indonesia so i think. Changing and im very grateful to the malaysian government for allowing d. C. And not be leadership to be on my lesia soil or even though these make it sound very angry but they have made it clear that malaysia is an independent country and malaysia. Holds one to uphold so universal values human rights and democracy and malaysia set a good example when the opposition won the last election this gave a lot of hope to become good young people because of the similarities between 2 countries well i see here actually that malaysian