An opposition Candlelight Party commune councilor in Siem Reap city was arrested on Wednesday, which the party claimed has brought the total number of the arrests of their members and activists in connection to the anti-Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Areas (CLV-DTA) to 10.
Several Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA) members and Youth Resource Development Program (YRDP) forum participants remain in police custody for questioning, while a mother has sounded the alarm about her missing daughter, Sak Kanika.
“My family doesn’t know where they [police] sent her but as a mother I am worried about her safety,” her mother told CamboJA News.
The series of arrests have raised concerns among civil society groups regarding the shrinking right of freedom of expression and right to assembly.
Siem Reap provincial police chief Hout Sothy confirmed the arrest of commune counselor Norng Theara following a complaint alleging “intimidation”, but he declined to give information as Theara was held for questioning at the provincial police station.
National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun could not be reached for comment.
Confirming Theara’s arrest, Candlelight Party secretary-general Ly Sothearayuth said police have not revealed the actual reason for the arrest.
Seven party members and activists have been arrested so far, in relation to CLV-DTA. Two are from Khmer Will Party and another from Grassroots Democratic Party, noting that if the situation continues, it would affect the party’s activities.
“We’re really worried about the safety of our activists and supporters if this political situation and arrests relating to the CLV-DTA do not cease,” Sothearayuth said.
“It has affected their emotion, they fear for their safety, and dare not to join political activities within the party or participate in meetings at grassroot levels,” he said.
As of August 21, about 11 men and women “confessed” their mistakes, having shared information and planned to join the anti-CLV-DTA demonstration on August 18, according to Fresh News online media which posted video clips.
The demonstration, which did not happen, was sparked by several thousand Cambodians protesting in South Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States to oppose the CLV-DTA due to concerns of Cambodia ceding territory in northeast provinces to Vietnam.
In the days leading up the protest, former Interior Minister Sar Kheng, now a member of the Supreme Privy Council to the King issued a statement and posted a video clip, where he said opposition groups aimed to set up a “rebel anti-government” and “disintegrate the internal unity” of Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
In addition, Sar Kheng’s office released a statement on August 20 denying the statements made by Facebook accounts “BonBunna Chiaheng” and “Bunthoeun” which “supported Sar Kheng as the next Prime Minister”.
“Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng has spent 50 years as a politician serving the nation and people […] no ambition to become the next prime minister,” his office wrote.
Vice president Ou Chanrath of Cambodia Reform Party, which is one of the coalition opposition parties, expressed concern over the escalating political situation regarding the CLV-DTA, and opposition officers being arrested.
“I am concerned about the CLV-DTA. Even if there was no [demonstration], monitoring by the authorities is ongoing, and I think political parties outside the government face challenges conducting their activity,” he said.
“If the situation prolongs, we will find it difficult to organize activities because when a non-government political party gathers, it will be faced with accusations or monitoring by the authorities,” Chanrath said.
He called on the government to open freedom of expression or organize a town hall meeting to respond to people’s concerns.
Grassroots Democratic Party president Sek Sokha echoed Chanrath, saying that there was a restriction of the rights to organize political activities.
“I think that if there is continued restriction, people cannot speak about their issues, or make constructive criticism,” he said.
Meanwhile, CPP ruling party spokesperson Sok Eysan said police have detained the people because they “broke the law”.
“The meeting is limited, and it does not matter if they hold their meeting in their house or headquarters but if they gather in public places to do something which causes disturbance to social security, then the police will do its job to prevent this,” he said.
NGO rights group Licadho operations director Am Sam Ath reiterated his call for the government and Cambodian politicians to uphold national interests and not to use citizens as political tools.
“In all circumstances, citizens’ rights and people’s freedoms should not be restricted because it is guaranteed under the constitution and international laws,” he said.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona rejected the claim that freedom of expression was restricted. He said the arrest of people who attempted to provoke unrest through a string of “extremist groups” abroad was to preserve the peace of the nation.
“There are no restrictions for the general population. They still work and travel freely,” he said, while questioning political parties and civil society organizations who raised concerns if they want a “small extremist group to destroy the country’s peace”.
(Addition reporting by Pou Soreachny and Ly Rosslan)
