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Phnom Penh’s appeal court on Tuesday permanently barred longtime unionist Rong Chhun from his “right to politics” and upheld his incitement conviction from last year over comments on online scams and the border with Vietnam.
Chhun, a former head of the Cambodia Confederation of Unions and an advisor to the opposition Nation Power Party, was first convicted of incitement in 2021 and served more than 15 months in prison.
He was later convicted again in May 2025, when a Phnom Penh court sentenced him to four years in prison, fined him 4 million riel (about $1,000) and stripped him of his rights to vote and stand for election. The appeal court upheld that verdict on Tuesday. Neither Chhun nor his lawyer attended the hearing after a request to delay proceedings was denied.
Rights groups and opposition figures have denounced Chhun’s legal troubles as unjust and politically motivated.
“The legal system in Cambodia cannot render justice for opponents,” Chhun said at a press conference at the Nation Power Party’s office in Phnom Penh after the ruling.
He said he would seek a retrial and appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that the court upheld the conviction in his absence without allowing him and his lawyer to present a defense. He remains under court supervision and will not serve his four-year sentence pending his Supreme Court appeal, according to Licadho operations director Am Sam Ath, whose group attended the hearing.
“My stance is that I only want citizens to have freedom and better livelihoods with higher salaries, and that we should compete for power through a free and fair election,” he said.
Phnom Penh Appeal Court spokesperson Sreng Souyet could not be reached for comment.
Other opposition figures also criticized the ruling.
“We are saddened that the court continues to prevent him from engaging in politics, including restricting his freedom of expression,” said Ou Chanrath, president of the Cambodia Reform Party.
“Freedom of expression is increasingly shrinking, and this has raised concerns among other politicians because we have seen how easily political rights can be stripped away,” he added.
Ly Sothearayuth, secretary-general of the Candlelight Party, which was barred from the 2023 national election, called the verdict unjust and urged national unity to address issues such as border disputes and living conditions.
He said the decision could stoke fear among opposition figures and activists ahead of next year’s commune elections.
