Cambodian Parliament: No Immunity for Prosecution of the Opposition Leader
"During the 1960s they killed those people involved with the U.S., they shot them." Apparently in response to the accusations of foreign intrigue, the United States Embassy in Phnom Penh this week began posting pictures of a bright red fish on Twitter
and Facebook, accompanied by the hashtag #RedHerringsKH and descriptions of American achievements in Cambodia.
The vote effectively nullified the parliamentary immunity of the opposition leader,
Kem Sokha, his last line of defense against the prosecution announced last week.
The United Nations human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday
that he was "seriously concerned" over the sudden arrest of Mr. Kem Sokha on Sept. 3 without a warrant, apparently in contravention of his constitutionally guaranteed parliamentary immunity.
In his speech, Mr. Hun Sen warned that the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party could be dissolved if it continued to stand behind Mr. Kem Sokha.
11, 2017
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Lawmakers voted on Monday to approve the prosecution of Cambodia’s
opposition leader on charges he committed treason in collusion with the United States.
Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, said foreign powers, particularly the United States, needed to stop interfering in Cambodia
and investigate their own actions, while critics of Mr. Kem Sokha’s arrest should respect the rule of law.
