According to a deputy police chief, three Cambodian activists arrested in Thailand will not be sent back to Cambodia and will be resettled elsewhere. This came as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet visited Thailand and thanked his Thai counterpart for preventing “interference in Cambodian internal politics” from Thai soil.
There has been increasing international pressure on Hun Manet to end the crackdown initiated by his father and predecessor, Hun Sen, who virtually removed domestic opposition to his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
The activists and their families are considered refugees by the United Nations and were arrested for immigration violations just days before the visit of Hun Manet. This follows a pattern of deportations from Thailand in recent years of critics of the CPP, which has held power for almost forty years.
Thai deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn told Reuters that the detainees will be resettled in another country, but not sent back to Cambodia. He stated, “Right now, the UNHCR is processing the resettlement to a third country,” referring to the U.N. refugee agency, adding, “We will definitely not be sending them or their families back to Cambodia.”
In a joint press conference with Hun Manet, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin stated that his country will not allow people to carry out “harmful activities” against its neighbors. Hun Manet expressed appreciation and stated, “this forms mutual respect and benefit between our two countries.”
Thailand and Cambodia also pledged to enhance cooperation to combat transnational crimes, particularly cyber scam networks, many of which have operated from Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia.
Hun Manet, who was educated in the West, assumed power last year in a historic succession from his father, whose rule was marked by rapid economic growth and development, alongside a repression of free speech and a long-standing effort to sideline opponents.
In last year’s election, the CPP faced virtually no opposition, with the only viable opposition parties dissolved or barred from running. Hundreds of adversaries have been imprisoned or fled into exile.
Western countries are closely monitoring to see if Hun Manet, who holds a British doctorate in economics and graduated from the prestigious U.S. West Point military academy, will pursue a more liberal agenda and reopen political space for an opposition, or maintain his father’s authoritarian approach.
(Reporting by Martin Petty, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Neil Fullick)
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