Cambodian opposition leader jailed in absentia

Sam Rainsy (L) and Hun Sen on 28th February 2006.

Cambodian opposition party leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced in absentia

SVAY RIENG, Cambodia (AFP)— A Cambodian court convicted and sentenced the nation's main opposition leader in absentia to two years in jail Wednesday on charges of uprooting border markings, he and his party said.

Sam Rainsy was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in November and charged with inciting racial discrimination and intentionally damaging wooden posts denoting Cambodia's boundary with Vietnam.

Two villagers, who were in court, were also convicted with intentionally damaging the border markings during the incident in October and jailed each for a year, said Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Yim Sovann.

Sam Rainsy, who is in France, said by telephone that the court had made a "most unjust" ruling, saying the border markers he had uprooted in protest were illegally placed.

"The conviction of Sam Rainsy is not important at all. But what is important is the loss of territory to a foreign country," he said.

Cambodia and Vietnam officially began demarcating their contentious border in September 2006 in a bid to end decades of territorial disputes.

That has led to a row that has sparked virulent anti-Vietnamese sentiment in Cambodia, fuelled by resentment of Vietnam's expansion over the centuries and the feeling that Cambodia is losing some of its territory.

Rainsy, said to be in France to avoid jail, says he will not return until some territory is returned to Cambodian farmers and the two jailed villagers are freed.

The 1,270-kilometre (787-mile) border has remained essentially unmarked and vague since French colonial times.

Svay Rieng provincial court began its closed-door trial for the opposition leader and the villagers under tight security.

The court ordered the three defendants to jointly pay 12,500 dollars to the government in compensation for the markings, Yim Sovann said. Rainsy was fined an additional 2,000 dollars, the party spokesman added.

Court officials could not be reached to confirm the verdict, while Rainsy's lawyer refused to comment.

The French-educated former finance minister is the main rival to Prime Minister Hun Sen. He has promised to promote liberal democracy and human rights, raise wages and fight corruption if elected.