Phnom Penh Post
By Vong Sokheng
A
week after opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, called on US President,
Barack Obama, to boycott the ASEAN summit over Cambodia’s deteriorating
rights record, Information Minister, Khieu Kanharith (pictured), derided his
efforts. Outside a media training event yesterday, Kanharith called
Rainsy’s appeal – made via an op-ed in the International Herald Tribune –
very misguided.
“Maybe he thinks that Obama is the boss of Hun
Sen. He can do whatever he wants… but I stress that the government has
never put a ban on him [Rainsy] returning to Cambodia.”
President
of the new Cambodian National Rescue Party, Rainsy, lives in
self-imposed exile in Paris and faces more than a decade in jail should
he return. Supporters maintain the convictions are politically motivated
and have stepped up efforts to see him allowed back before the July
election.
Rainsy said on Tuesday that he had recently met with Kurt Campbell, the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and was confident the head of state would pressure Cambodia on some key rights issues.
To contact the reporter on this story: Vong Sokheng at sokheng.vong@phnompenhpost.com
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