PM: War or punishment

Hun Sen says if CNRP was legalised Kingdom could ‘not avoid’ conflict

PRIME Minister Hun Sen on Thursday said the Kingdom could “not avoid a war” if the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) is legalised and its former president Kem Sokha went unpunished.

He also denied the theory that he was behind the creation of minor political parties.

A former CNRP lawmaker shot back that his court-dissolved party only practised non-violent protests, while a political analyst contended that the prime minister’s statement was a scare tactic.

Speaking before more than 27,500 garment workers in Kandal province, Hun Sen made reference to Sokha, who has been in pretrial detention in Tbong Khmum province since his arrest on “treason” charges in September last year.

He asked voters: “Why do you want to change [leaders]? The new is not necessarily more capable than the old.

“It is even more dangerous when they attempt to cause [chaos]. Cambodia cannot avoid war if the president of that party is not punished and it [the CNRP] was not dissolved,” he said.

The prime minister also denied he had a hand in creating any of the minor parties taking part in the July 29 polls.

Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is now president of the Cambodia National Rescue Movement (CNRM),

sanction or other sanction actions initiated by allied countries or the countries that oppose the royal government of Cambodia, which would benefit only a handful of opposition groups but would affect the lives of millions of Cambodians, especially workers and farmers,” the letter continued.

The letter said there were no restrictions on the freedom of the press, but instead Cambodia provides full rights t o the media – radio, TV, newspapers and social media – including pro- and antigovernment ones.

“Even though they report negatively about the royal government of Cambodia, they still can operate there,” the let- ical situation in the Kingdom. But as of Thursday, no information on their efforts has been forthcoming, he said.

Meanwhile, an EU delegation is due to arrive soon in Cambodia for a fact-finding mission to study the Kingdom’s compliance with its human rights duties as enshrined in the Everything But Arms (EBA) import arrangement, in which some Cambodian products are granted duty-free status.

CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan said he welcomed the EU factfinding delegation and was optimistic about their future findings.

“We welcome the EU delegation. If they come to Cambodia, they will see that the real situation in the Kingdom is not like the propaganda from t he outlawed re bel

We welcome the EU delegation. If they come to Cambodia, they will see the real situation in the Kingdom