A leading opposition figure in Cambodia, Kem Sokha, has been sentenced to 27 years of house arrest for treason.
He was accused of conspiring to overthrow the government of Hun Sen, who has been Prime Minister of the south-east Asian country since 1985.
Kem Sokha, a leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was effectively banned in 2017, has also been prevented from standing or voting in Cambodian elections.
The sentence was condemned by a number of Western governments and human rights watchdogs.
Phil Robertson, the deputy director of Asia for Human Rights Watch was quoted as saying: ‘It was obvious from the start that the charges against Kem Sokha were nothing but a politically motivated ploy by Prime Minister Hun Sen to sideline Cambodia’s major opposition leader and eliminate the country’s democratic system.’
A general election is due to be held in July, but it is unlikely that there will be anything more than token opposition to Hun Sen and his Cambodian People’s Party. Hun Sen’s government has become increasingly authoritarian in recent years. Apart from the banning of opposition political parties and harassment of their members and leaders, there has also been a harsh crackdown on independent media in the country.