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ASEAN states urged to resist Cambodia’s demands to arrest dissenters
Mu Sochua (Reuters)Activists and lawmakers in Southeast Asia are urging ASEAN governments to resist pressure from Phnom Penh to arrest dissidents who enter their territories, as a dismantled Cambodian opposition plans a perilous return to its homeland this weekend after years in political exile
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Mu Sochua (Reuters)
Activists and lawmakers in Southeast Asia are urging ASEAN governments to resist pressure from Phnom Penh to arrest dissidents who enter their territories, as a dismantled Cambodian opposition plans a perilous return to its homeland this weekend after years in political exile.
The calls were made following the detention of Mu Sochua, the vice president of the outlawed Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), by Malaysian authorities upon her arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Thursday, in the latest crackdown on Cambodian activists by ASEAN governments in recent days.
Under the instruction of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodian authorities have issued arrest warrants for CNRP founder Sam Rainsy and other dissidents making their way home through neighboring countries.
Sochua had also previously been deported to Kuala Lumpur as she attempted to enter Thailand on Oct 20.
“These acts of intimidation orchestrated by the Cambodian government, with the support of other ASEAN governments, highlight the collusion among ASEAN leaders to suppress and harass critics, activists and opposition leaders,” said Rachel Arinii, East Asia and ASEAN program manager at Forum-Asia, a regional human rights organization.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said his country was looking for a third country to accept Sochua. "Our principle — in ASEAN in particular — generally is that we don't interfere in the internal affairs of other countries,” Mahathir was quoted by Reuters as saying.
In an unexpected turn of events, the Malaysian government made an about-face and moved to release Sochua and two Cambodian activists from detention, activists and lawmakers confirmed.
"[They] have been allowed in until Nov. 12," Rachel told The Jakarta Post, likely foiling the opposition's plans for the weekend.
Teddy Baguilat, a former member of the Philippine parliament and board member of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), welcomed Kuala Lumpur's decision to allow Sochua and youth activists Keith Ngoeum and Seang Leang Heng to enter the country.
"They should never have been detained in the first place and it is unfortunate that some had to spend days in detention before their rights were fully respected," he said. "We hope that this will inspire Thailand to allow Sam Rainsy into the country and all other ASEAN countries to respect people’s fundamental rights."
Indonesia, ASEAN’s de facto leader and one of the largest democracies in the world, has so far kept silent on the issue, even as the Cambodian envoy in Jakarta attempted to gatecrash a press conference by Sochua the previous day.
Cambodian Ambassador to Indonesia Hor Nambora insisted the event was illegal and later chastised Indonesia in a press statement calling for the arrest and deportation of Sochua “in the true spirit of ASEAN”.
Before flying to Malaysia, Sochua detailed Wednesday her party’s plans to return and called for international support to restore democracy in Cambodia. She also announced in Jakarta that Rainsy had made a formal request to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to grant them safe passage through the Thai-Cambodian border, which the leader dismissed. Prayut ordered officials to deny entry to Rainsy on account of the “rules” in ASEAN, Bloomberg reported.
Kasit Piromya, a former member of the Thai parliament and board member of APHR, said the arrests showed a complete disregard for ASEAN’s stated commitment to democracy and human rights and insisted that attempts to block Cambodian opposition members from returning were solely based on political considerations.
Yuyun Wahyuningrum, Indonesia’s representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), argued that there was no obligation under ASEAN treaties for member states to comply with Cambodia’s demands, saying that freedom of speech was a right protected under Article 23 of the ASEAN Human Right Declaration.
“Based on the ASEAN Charter, the obligation of the member states of ASEAN is to adhere to the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance, respect for and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms,” she told the Post. (tjs)
