The US ambassador to Cambodia yesterday said that he was troubled by “fabricated conspiracy theories” at the treason trial of opposition party leader Kem Sokha, who is accused of plotting to overthrow long-ruling Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 and his party was banned as Hun Sen’s government cracked down on opposition, civil society groups and the media in the run-up to 2018 parliamentary elections, in which the ruling party won every seat.
Kem Sokha’s treason charges stem from accusations that he was conspiring with the US to overthrow Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia with an iron first for more than three decades.
Photo: Reuters
Kem Sokha has denied the charges, saying that they are politically motivated.
“We’re troubled to see prosecutors that have introduced into the courtroom fabricated conspiracy theories about the United States,” US Ambassador to Cambodia Patrick Murphy told reporters after briefly attending Kem Sokha’s ongoing trial.
“Here’s the truth: the United States has contributed almost US$3 billion in recent decades in assistance to Cambodia, including transparent assistance to strengthen institutions and political parties in line with Cambodia’s constitution,” Murphy said.
Kem Sokha has a reputation worldwide as a champion for rights and freedoms, Murphy said, adding that he looked forward to seeing his political rights fully restored.
“This process has potential implications for the rule of law and due process in Cambodia, and for the country’s international relations,” Murphy said.
“My government has made it abundantly clear that the United States has never sought to interfere in Cambodia’s governance, and we respect Cambodia’s independence and sovereignty,” he said.
As Murphy spoke to journalists, a district official in the capital, Phnom Penh, tried to stop him from speaking, but the ambassador was able to finish his statement before leaving.
Commenting on Murphy’s remarks, government spokesman Phay Siphan said that all sides should leave the court to do its work.
“We appeal to all public, including foreigners and Cambodian citizens, to wait and listen to the court, to prosecutors on how they bring and argue charges, we don’t want interference in the judiciary,” Siphan told reporters.
Hun Sen’s massive crackdown on opposition also prompted the EU to cut some of Cambodia’s trade preferences this year, which Brussels said was the result of his government’s “serious and systematic violations” of human rights.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese