A Cambodian court sentenced an outspoken opposition politician to four years in prison for incitement on Monday ( May 5 ), he told reporters, preventing him from voting and holding office.
Rong Chhun, a member of the Nation Power Party, claimed that he had been found guilty of inciting grave social unrest, a practice Cambodian authorities regularly use against activists.
He received legal action last year after meeting land dispute patients and making comments about Prime Minister Hun Manet’s border crossing with Vietnam.
Rong Chhun told reporters outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court that he would file an appeal against the “politically motivated” ruling, which he called “beyond wrong.” If he would be detained right away, it was unclear.
” My concept is that the leaders must stop using the legal system to stifle officials,” he said.
He claimed that the situation “reflects our Cambodia has no entire democracy, and anyone who has popular support from the people is often suppressed and removed from the social scene.”
Rong Chhun was detained in 2020 after he claimed there were “irregularities” with the Thai government along the country’s northeast border.
He received a two-year prison sentence in August 2021, but an elegance judge granted him a three-year statement with a three-year suspended sentence.