PHNOM PENH (AFP) – Cambodian leader Hun Sen said yesterday he would not tolerate foreigners who threaten the country’s peace, days after the jailing of an opposition figure roused international condemnation.
“At any cost, we won’t tolerate any action by anybody who wishes to destroy peace in Cambodia,” he said.
The co-founder of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Kem Sokha, was handed a 27-year prison sentence last week for treason.
He was accused of hatching a plot in collusion with international entities to overthrow Hun Sen’s government.
The United Nations and European Union condemned the ruling, with Washington calling it a “miscarriage of justice” based on a “fabricated conspiracy”.
France, Australia and the United Kingdom also expressed concerns about the case and Cambodia’s ailing democracy ahead of July’s elections.
Hun Sen warned foreigners against any measures that could return the nation to civil war “under the pretext of democracy and human rights”.
