A Candlelight Party youth activist who fled alleged political persecution in Cambodia has been arrested by Thai authorities this week, according to Human Rights Watch.
The Candlelight activist, Thol Samnang, 34, arrived in Thailand earlier this week to “seek asylum” according to Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson. Samnang was arrested on Friday by Thai authorities.
“For Thol Samnang’s personal safety, the Thai government must not return Thol Samnang to the Cambodian authorities,” said Candlelight’s acting secretary general Kong Monika. He confirmed Samnang is an active member of Candlelight’s youth wing.
On June 30, Samnang’s village chief reportedly warned Samnang that he would need to switch his party affiliation to the ruling CPP to avoid arrest, Candlelight’s Kandal province party chief Ly Mengkheang said.
Prek Koy commune and district police then repeatedly visited Samnang’s home in Tropeang Chuok village on July 3, according to Mengkheang. They did not have a court order, he said.
“The reason that he left Cambodia is because police and commune authorities were searching for him at his home, asking about him,” Mengkheang said. “The reason they wanted to arrest him is because of Facebook statuses that he posted.”
Samnang fled to Thailand later that day, Mengkheang said.
Samnang had made provocative Facebook posts in the past week, Mengkheang said. One of the Facebook statuses posted by Samnang’s account titled “Youth Love Democracy” showed pictures of ruling CPP supporters with a red X over their faces and a crude description.
“He expressed his opinions via his Facebook account…and it is not illegal in Cambodia or Thailand,” said Kong Monika, the party’s acting secretary general.
UN lawyers in Thailand were trying to assist Samnang after his arrest on Friday morning, Mengkheang said.
“United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees must be given access to Thol Samnang to ensure his refugee protection needs are met,” Robertson said. He added that the case “smacks of transnational repression instigated by the Cambodian government, trying to get him back.”
“I do not know this problem,” said CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan, when asked about Samnang’s arrest and alleged political persecution.
Thailand has not signed on to the 1951 Refugee Convention and “has no laws in place to provide refugees with any legal status,” refugee rights group Asylum Access Thailand has told CamboJA. More than 200 political opposition activists have fled to Thailand since 2017, CamboJA reported. Some have been arrested by Thai authorities and deported to Cambodia despite being recognized as refugees by the UN.
Prime Minister Hun Sen warned political opponents in January that they faced legal action or violence. Multiple Candlelight activists have since been chased down and beaten in the streets with batons, Human Rights Watch reported.
Candlelight Party, the leading opposition group, was disqualified in May from competing in the July 23 national elections.
National police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun and government spokesperson Phay Siphan could not be reached for comment.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Cambodia spokesperson Hammad Ahmad did not respond to requests for comment.
