Cambodia opposition leader in Malaysia in bid to go home

Cambodia’s exiled opposition leer Sam Rainsy arrived in Malaysia on Saturday, making partial progress in his quest to return to his home country to le a movement to try to oust long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen. Sam Rainsy arrived in Kuala Lumpur in afteron after anuncing earlier that he was boarding a plane in Paris, his home in exile, without disclosing his destination.

He and fellow members of banned Cambodia National Rescue Party h publicly declared that y planned to return to ir homeland on Saturday, Cambodia’s Independence Day, to end authoritarian rule of Hun Sen and restore democracy.

Hun Sen’s government has vigorously opposed ir return and declared y would be arrested immediately if y me it onto Cambodian soil.

Sam Rainsy spoke to reporters briefly on his arrival in Kuala Lumpur, and appeared to ackwledge that he would t make it to Cambodia on Saturday, saying he h been invited by Malaysian lawmakers to meet with m on Tuesday. He declared that his visit was a private one and that he was grateful to Malaysia authorities.

His statement was evidently meant to sidestep issue of wher he was interfering with Cambodia’s internal affairs while on Malaysian soil. Malaysia and Cambodia are both members of Association of Souast Asian Nations, which maintains a policy of ninterference in each or’s affairs. Malaysia and Thailand have both hindered free movement of opposition party leers, drawing criticism from human rights groups.

In Cambodia on Saturday, Hun Sen and constitutional monarch King rodom Sihamoni attended a celebration ceremony at Independence Monument in Phm Penh, capital.

Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party have a stranglehold on power, which was ensured when Cambodia’s high court dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party in late 2017 for allegedly treasous activities.

action was seen as a political ploy to ensure victory by Hun Sen’s party in 2018 general election by eliminating only credible opposition group. Sam Rainsy’s party h mounted an unexpectedly strong challenge to Hun Sen’s party in 2013 general election. With elimination of Cambodia National Rescue Party, Hun Sen’s party swept 2018 polls.

In a video posted Saturday morning on his Facebook p, Sam Rainsy applauded his supporters for devoting ir lives for sake of change and carrying on ir struggle with fear.

“Our victory is getting nearer and nearer,” he said. “ change of regime through democratic means will soon arrive and be accomplished.”

But he and his colleagues face an uphill battle.

An effort Sam Rainsy me Thursday to fly from Paris to Thailand — Cambodia’s western neighbor — was thwarted when Thai Airways refused to let him board. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha h said earlier that he would be barred from entering Thailand.

Hun Sen’s government has declared Sam Rainsy and fellow leers of banned Cambodia National Rescue Party unwelcome to return, beefing up security on country’s land borders and telling airlines y should t carry him to his homeland. It also informed Cambodia’s neighbors in Association of Souast Asian Nations of its position, leing at least one, Malaysia, this past week to temporarily detain deputy leer of opposition party, Mu Sochua, and two junior party members.

Inside Cambodia, scores of supporters of opposition party have been arrested in past few weeks.

On Saturday, security in Phm Penh was heavy and on especially high alert at country’s border checkpoint at Poipet in country’s rthwest, where Sam Rainsy and his top party leers h anunced that y and ir supporters would be crossing from Thailand. Traffic to checkpoint as well as across border was limited, with Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand reportedly barred from entry.

“For sake of Cambodian people’s safety and for sake of Cambodia’s stability, level of security throughout country needs to be on high alert and beefed up,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Chhum Socheat.

Sam Rainsy has been Hun Sen’s most prominent foe for deces. He went into exile in late 2015 to avoid a two-year prison sentence on charges of criminal defamation. Or legal cases have since been lodged against him by government.

Or top party members fled into exile after 2017 crackdown on all opposition to Hun Sen, which included party’s dissolution, shuttering of virtually all critical media and arrest of party’s or co-founder, Kem Sokha. He was charged with treason, based on his links to a U.S. pro-democracy organization, and is under strict house arrest.