3-2-2024 (BANGKOK) Two Cambodian activists and a former political prisoner have been apprehended in Thailand ahead of an upcoming visit by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, shedding light on the Cambodian government’s cross-border influence.
Kong Raiya, who has faced imprisonment twice for anti-government activities, was ensnared in an immigration operation at a Bangkok apartment complex, as reported by Radio Free Asia (RFA). Joining him in arrest were Lim Sokha, a prominent member of the Candlelight Party, and Phan Phana, an opposition activist extracted from his residence in Rayong.
The trio, having recently sought asylum in Thailand and granted refugee status, planned to stage a protest during Prime Minister Hun Manet’s anticipated visit and discussions with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Expressing concerns about potential deportation, Phan Phana stated to RFA Khmer before his phone was confiscated, “The ruling Cambodian People’s Party orchestrated this arrest because the police are seeking information about other activists.”
Efforts to obtain comments from Cambodian government representatives regarding the arrests were unsuccessful, according to RFA.
Kong Raiya attributed his arrest to collaboration between Thai authorities and the Cambodian government, citing his criticism of Hun Manet, who assumed Cambodia’s premiership following his father’s retirement in August.
“The government was irate, hence my arrest,” Kong Raiya asserted, speculating that Thai authorities may have tracked him through phone tapping or online surveillance.
Fellow Candlelight Party member Khem Monykosal, also seeking asylum in Thailand, disclosed that the detainees were being held at the Suan Phlu immigration detention centre in Bangkok. Urging the Thai government to uphold refugee rights, Khem Monykosal remarked on the heightened tension in their vicinity.
Dozens of Cambodian pro-democracy activists have sought asylum in Thailand in response to the ruling CPP’s use of intimidation and judicial measures against political dissent.
On December 29, Thai authorities apprehended 10 Cambodian refugees participating in a Paris Peace Agreement course in Bangkok. While three were subsequently released, seven remained in immigration detention two weeks later, as reported by CamboJA News, operated by the Cambodian Journalists Federation. The status of the seven individuals remains undisclosed.
A group of 40 participants, including Cambodian workers, activists from the defunct Cambodian National Rescue Party, Candlelight Party supporters, and Khmer Krom refugees, attended the course. Upon police intervention and document scrutiny, 10 individuals holding UNHCR-provided ID cards were detained, facing allegations of illegal entry by Thai authorities and subversion by the Cambodian government.
