Cambodia Archives - Page 2 of 3 - The Online Citizen

Cambodian opposition party loses bid to overturn election ban

Cambodia’s main opposition party lost its bid to participate in the upcoming elections, allowing long-serving leader Hun Sen to run uncontested. The ruling was upheld by the Constitutional Council, disappointing the Candlelight Party and shrinking the space for democracy in the country. Critics accuse Hun Sen of suppressing opposition and manipulating the legal system. The party had gained popularity in local elections and aimed to challenge the ruling party in every constituency. Hun Sen’s grip on power continues, with his son being groomed as his successor.

The Online Citizen
25 May 2023

FORUM-ASIA and CIVICUS condemn Cambodia’s decision to disqualify main opposition party from upcoming General Election

Cambodia’s National Election Committee’s disqualification of the main opposition Candlelight Party from the 2023 general elections has drawn global criticism. Human rights groups FORUM-ASIA and CIVICUS argue this undermines democratic rights, suggesting the move is part of an ongoing campaign of bureaucratic intimidation to silence dissent.

The Online Citizen
17 May 2023

Main Cambodia opposition party excluded from July polls

Cambodia’s National Election Committee has refused to register the main opposition party, the Candlelight Party (CP), for the upcoming national elections. The move effectively paves the way for Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to compete uncontested. Critics argue that Hun Sen uses the legal system to suppress opposition, and the CP plans to appeal the decision. With key opposition figures facing disqualification and criminal cases, and opposition activists defecting to the ruling party, Cambodia’s path to plural-party democracy is increasingly uncertain.

The Online Citizen
15 May 2023

AFP
Cambodia

Cambodia PM Hun Sen’s son becomes four-star general

Hun Manet, the eldest son of Cambodian leader Hun Sen, has been promoted to the rank of four-star general, in another sign of plans for him to succeed his father. Hun Manet, who is commander of the army, has been officially backed by the ruling party as a future prime minister and has been more active on social media in recent months to increase his public profile. The move comes ahead of Cambodia’s elections in July, in which Hun Manet will run for a parliamentary seat.

The Online Citizen
20 April 2023

View of Angkor Wat in Cambodia during Sunset (Source: Daniel Lazarov/pexels.com).

AFP
Cambodia

Cambodia should halt ‘forced evictions’ at Angkor Wat: Amnesty

Amnesty International has urged Cambodia to stop the “mass forced evictions” of 10,000 families from the Angkor Wat temple complex, as the Cambodian government relocates them to a new community to protect the ruins from squatters whose informal settlements are damaging the local environment. The government says people are moving voluntarily, but Amnesty claims villagers faced “implicit threats if they did not move” and were not properly consulted or given enough notice. The ruined Angkor Wat temples are Cambodia’s top tourist attraction.

The Online Citizen
31 March 2023

Cambodia leader warns against foreign interference

Cambodian leader Hun Sen warned against any action by foreigners that could destroy peace in Cambodia, following the jailing of opposition figure Kem Sokha for 27 years on treason charges. The ruling was condemned by the United Nations, European Union, and several countries, who expressed concerns about Cambodia’s democracy. Hun Sen, one of the world’s longest-ruling leaders, has been accused of stifling opposition and curtailing democratic freedoms since he came to power in 1985.