Cambodian PM warns off his opposition about coming to Thailand
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has told his country’s opposition parties not to think of using Thailand as a base to campaign against the Cambodian government, saying “that dream has vanished” along with Pita’s defeat in the July 13 vote for prime minister
Hun Sen tweeted about the defeat of Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward party, in the parliamentary vote for prime minister on July 13.
His tweet read: “I declare today that Pita’s failure to get enough votes to be Thai prime minister is a major failure for the brute opposition in Cambodia. This does not mean that I am interfering in Thailand’s internal affairs. My point is that in the past, these traitors expected that when Pita became the prime minister of Thailand, they would use Thai territory to campaign against the Royal Government of Cambodia. Now the expectations of the brute opposition group have vanished like salt in water.
“Do not do politics that depend on somebody else. This is my message to the extremist groups.”
Cambodia will hold an election on July 23. Hun Sen’s party is expected to sweep the votes, as major opposition parties have been prevented from participating in this year’s election.
A foreign news agency reported that Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party won every seat in the 2018 general election after the court ordered the dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was that year’s opposition. This year, Hun Sen’s party will have another landslide victory because the National Election Committee disqualified the Candle Light Party, the only opposition party capable of challenging the Cambodian People’s Party. The party was not allowed to register for the election, guaranteeing that Hun Sen will have no competitors.
