Opposition figure pardoned by Cambodian King

By Lauren Crothers

SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AA) - The deputy leader of Cambodia’s opposition party, in hiding since May to avoid a court case, has been officially pardoned by King Norodom Sihamoni at the request of the prime minister, Hun Sen.

The pardon comes after Kem Sokha, vice head of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, was convicted in absentia for failing to appear for questioning in a prostitution case related to leaked phone calls between him and his mistress.

He was sentenced to five months in jail. In hiding at the party headquarters, Sokha has only left the compound once, to register as a candidate and add his name to the voter list for the next round of elections.

Political analyst Ou Virak said he was “not at all” surprised by the issuance of the royal decree, which was shared on social media on Friday.

“The ups and downs of politics are pretty frequent, and therefore not surprising,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Neither is the fact that Hun Sen interfered in the case, despite the government and Justice Ministry repeatedly insisting that the courts act independently -- despite evidence to the contrary.

“These bad decisions and contradictory decisions that interfere with due process of the law is now normal and that’s why people become numb,” Virak said. “It would be a scandal in other countries.”

The reasoning behind the pardon is likely part of a strategy to split the opposition beyond repair, he speculated.

CNRP leader Sam Rainsy has been in exile for a year to avoid a prison sentence in a defamation case, but has not received any indication he would receive the same treatment.

“Game theory 101 is to make a deal with one of the two,” he said.

“You have to create distrust. If anything, the conspiracy theory that there is a split within Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha will give rise to a lot of mistrust not just between them, but among CNRP supporters.”

Questions were emailed to Rainsy, who did not respond. On his Facebook page, he shared a photograph of the pardon, but did not share his thoughts.

CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann and chief whip Son Chhay could not be reached by Anadolu Agency on Friday.