Ukrainian and Russian citizens living in Cambodia on Tuesday submitted a petition to the Russian embassy in Phnom Penh asking to stop the war in Ukraine.
“Ukrainians and Russians here in Cambodia don’t want to see war, and we need peace,” said a Russian member of the group, who asked not to be named. “In Cambodia you experienced the Pol Pot regime, so we don’t want to see that.”
Only five people, including two Russians and three Ukrainians, appeared at the embassy, where security had been deployed. The man who spoke with CamboJA said the embassy accepted the petition.
Russia launched a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, sparking worldwide condemnation with new rounds of sanctions on both high-ranking Russian individuals as well as the national economy.
On Saturday, the U.S., E.U., U.K. and Canada banned certain Russian banks from accessing the SWIFT system, the high-security network that facilitates payments among 11,000 financial institutions in 200 countries.
Earlier in the week, Germany halted certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscow’s actions, according to the broadcaster CNN.
In an exclusive weekend interview with the pro-government media outlet Fresh News, Prime Minister Hun Sen called for dialogue and a peaceful solution for the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
“In my personal opinion, the Russian army may not be able to overthrow Ukraine through military force, while the Ukrainian military will not also be able to crush the Russian military force,” he said. “This cannot end the war and the only way out is to negotiate a peaceful means.”
Hun Sen said even if Russia could occupy the whole of Ukraine and the president was killed or arrested, the people of Ukraine will not remain silent.
“Russia could be trapped in Ukraine if it stays in Ukraine for a long time,” he said.
Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Cambodian government, declined comment but said the Tuesday petition would not affect the kingdom unless there were protests or demonstrations.
Some local civil society organizations have launched an online solidarity campaign against the Russian invasion, posting pictures on social media of members holding banners in support of the people of Ukraine.
“We just want to show our support and stand up with people of Ukraine, we ask for peace for Ukrainians and to stop the war,” said Am Sam Ath, deputy director for monitoring with the rights group Licadho, which participated in the campaign.
