Sam Rainsy: 鈥淗un Manet is a prisoner of the system鈥�
Cambodian opposition leader says incoming PM is a 鈥減risoner of the system鈥� set up by his father
Acting President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) has called for sanctions against 鈥渋ndividuals responsible for serious human rights violations and for the destruction of democracy in Cambodia鈥�.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, has promised to resign and hand power to his son Hun Manet. His July announcement came three days after his party, the Cambodian People鈥檚 Party, swept 120 of 125 seats in the National Assembly, in an election where the main opposition party was banned from running, and which many in the international community described as neither free nor fair.
Speaking to HARDtalk鈥檚 Stephen Sackur in London, Sam Rainsy said that 鈥淗un Manet is a prisoner of the system鈥�. Comparing the transition to the succession of power in Syria in 2000, when Hafez al-Assad, one of the longest-serving leaders in modern Middle Eastern history, was succeeded following his death by his son Bashar al-Assad.
鈥淎ctually the son is worse than the father, because the regime remained the same. This is true in Syria, as well as in Cambodia鈥�, he added.
Sam Rainsy has been in self-imposed exile in France since 2015. His party, the CNRP was dissolved by Cambodia鈥檚 Supreme Court in 2017, accused of plotting to overthrow the government. Last year he was tried in absentia and sentenced to life in prison for planning to cede territory to a foreign entity.
