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Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warned opponents Monday they might face authorized motion or a beating with sticks in the event that they accused his ruling occasion of vote theft in nationwide polls later this yr.
One of many world’s longest-serving leaders, Hun Sen will mark 38 years in energy this weekend and has vowed to run once more when Cambodia holds elections in July.
Talking at a ceremony in Kampong Cham province, he mentioned political challengers would want to decide on between the courts and violence in the event that they criticised his ruling Cambodian Individuals’s Get together (CPP).
“There are solely two choices — one is utilizing authorized motion, the opposite is utilizing sticks… What would you like?” he mentioned.
“Both you face authorized motion in courtroom or I rally CPP individuals for an illustration and beat you guys up.”
He additionally instructed attorneys to watch speeches by his rivals.
“We cannot allow you to accuse us of being thieves on a regular basis. The CPP can’t settle for being known as thieves who steal votes. We should sue whoever says that,” Hun Sen added.
He later claimed he didn’t encourage violence.
Scores of opposition politicians, together with long-time rival Sam Rainsy, have been convicted of crimes in absentia and stay in exile.
Critics and rights teams say Hun Sen has ruthlessly crushed dissent by jailing opponents and activists forward of each election.
Within the newest mass trial final month, 36 individuals together with Rainsy had been handed between 5 and 7 years on costs of plotting in opposition to the federal government.
The prime minister has promised to crush Rainsy, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in October, and to squeeze his political allies.
The rising opposition Candlelight Get together took 18 p.c of the vote in final yr’s native polls.
Its deputy chief Son Chhay — a long-time Rainsy ally who holds Australian citizenship — was convicted of defamation in October and ordered to pay $750,000 in compensation to the ruling occasion for criticising the polls.
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