Cambodia Gov’t Dismisses Concerns on Opposition Leader’s Sentence

Cambodia’s government has been accused of political interference and arrogance by Western countries after opposition leader Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years on charges of treason. Sokha, co-founder of the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, was found guilty of hatching a secret plan with foreign entities to topple Prime Minister Hun Sen. The United Nations, European Union, Canada, France, Australia and the United Kingdom all expressed concerns over the sentencing, which analysts view as symptomatic of Cambodia’s stifled democracy ahead of July’s elections. The US described the verdict as a “miscarriage of justice” based on a “fabricated conspiracy” and “politically-motivated charges”.