PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — In a recent ruling, a Cambodian court convicted the leader of an opposition party, sentencing him to two years behind bars for allegedly inciting social disorder. This verdict marks another step in the ongoing crackdown on opposition figures under Prime Minister Hun Manet’s administration.
During the proceedings held at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Sun Chanthy, the president of the Nation Power Party, was also permanently barred from voting or holding office, and he received a fine of four million riels, which equates to approximately $1,000. Notably, he was tried and convicted in absentia, having opted not to attend the trial.
Sun Chanthy, age 41, was apprehended in May at Phnom Penh International Airport upon his return from Japan, where he had engaged with Cambodian workers abroad. During that trip, he publicly criticized the government and called for greater freedoms for opposition parties.
Cambodia has faced considerable scrutiny for its human rights practices, prominently under the long tenure of former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who governed for nearly four decades. Although Hun Manet took over leadership last year, there have been minimal indications of political reforms or liberalization.
The Cambodian government has frequently been accused of weaponizing the judicial system against dissenters and political critics. While officials maintain they uphold the rule of law within an electoral framework, various opposition parties have faced dissolution or experienced the imprisonment and harassment of their members when perceived as significant threats to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party.
Sun Chanthy drew attention for denouncing the government’s inequitable distribution of special welfare cards to certain impoverished families, which he argued served as a means of coercion to encourage alignment with the ruling party. The Justice Ministry claimed that his statements misrepresented the situation by implying that these cards would only benefit supporters of the Cambodian People’s Party.
As a prominent figure in the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party, Sun Chanthy was a close ally of Sam Rainsy, a longstanding opponent of the Cambodian People’s Party who has been in self-imposed exile since 2016 to avoid facing multiple politically driven charges. The Cambodia National Rescue Party was expected to be a formidable competitor in the 2018 elections, but it was dissolved shortly before the polls as part of a broader crackdown on opposition forces, allowing the ruling party to secure all seats in the National Assembly.
Subsequently, Sun Chanthy joined the Candlelight Party, a successor to the Cambodia National Rescue Party, but that organization also faced restrictions preventing it from participating in the 2023 elections under technicalities. In light of these developments, he later helped establish the Nation Power Party in October of last year.
Due to his pre-trial detention being located nearly 600 kilometers away, Sun Chanthy did not attend the court sessions, as traveling long distances while restrained would have caused him severe discomfort, according to his lawyer. Choung Chou Ngy commented on the arduous journey, likening the conditions to torture and highlighting the challenges faced by those imprisoned.
