158 MPs from 23 countries call for the release of Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha

PHNOM PENH – Over 150 members of parliament from around the world sent an open letter to Cambodia’s Prime Minister today, calling on his government to immediately and unconditionally release Kem Sokha, President of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), and to take immediate steps to allow for free and fair elections in 2018.

The letter, which was sent to Prime Minister Hun Sen this morning, was endorsed by 158 members of parliament representing 23 countries on six continents* and comes a day after the three-month anniversary of Kem Sokha’s detention.

Kem Sokha was arrested on 3 September 2017 and charged with treason for comments made during a 2013 speech, in which he discussed efforts toward peaceful, democratic change in Cambodia. His request for bail has been repeatedly denied. His party, the CNRP, was officially dissolved by the Supreme Court on 16 November, and he and 117 other senior members of the party were banned from politics for five years.

“Kem Sokha’s detention is clearly politically motivated, and the government has presented no credible evidence of the absurd charges levied against him. His arrest came in the midst of a heavy-handed crackdown on free media and civil society, and, combined with the subsequent dissolution of his party, represents nothing more than an attempt by the ruling party to eliminate all opposition before next year’s national elections,” said Malaysian MP Charles Santiago, Chairperson of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and one of the letter’s signatories.

“Along with 157 of my colleagues from countries around the globe, from Argentina to South Africa to Malaysia, we are asking the Cambodian government to take steps to reverse course by unconditionally releasing Kem Sokha and allowing him and his party to participate freely in politics. Elections in 2018 will be illegitimate unless such actions are urgently undertaken,” Santiago said.

In addition to calling for Kem Sokha’s release, the letter called on the Cambodian government to reverse the decision to dissolve the CNRP, to reinstate all CNRP elected leaders to their positions, both in Parliament and at the local level, and to repeal amendments passed earlier this year to the Law on Political Parties and four electoral laws. Those amendments were rushed through the National Assembly on party-line votes, and laid the groundwork for the CNRP’s dissolution last month.

“Kem Sokha’s arrest and detention took place in a context of increasing repression of the opposition, which has been enabled by the amendment of laws to fit the ruling party’s political agenda. In order for us to believe that future elections can happen in a genuine, participatory, and inclusive manner, this major roadblock needs to be addressed,” said Congressman Tom Villarin of the Philippines, who also signed the letter.

“The Cambodian Government must show a commitment to working with its international partners, including those who have been critical of its recent actions, in addressing what we see as serious breaches of international law and Cambodia’s own constitution. The government’s onslaught against the opposition, independent media, civil society, and the rule of law itself must stop, and we need to see proof of that,” Villarin added.

Parliamentarians welcomed the strong stance taken by many governments and politicians around the world in criticizing the Cambodian government’s recent actions, and noted that this attention should and would be sustained.

“The overwhelming support shown by lawmakers from around the world by signing on to this letter shows that the situation in Cambodia is not one that the international community is going to ignore. Prime Minister Hun Sen would do well to pay attention to our recommendations or risk becoming a pariah on the global stage,” Santiago concluded.

* Countries of endorsing parliamentarians: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Timor-Leste, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Click here to read the letter.