The Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party forcibly dissolved. Its leaders imprisoned or made to flee. A prime minister who controls the judiciary. Against this backdrop of human rights abuse, Liberal International has submitted a written address to the United Nations Human Rights Council, setting out a series of steps for key international actors to take to avoid further destabilisation in one of Southeast Asia’s poorest and most corrupt countries.

In a step-by-step breakdown, Liberal International (LI) has called on the United Nations, the European Union, China, USA, and ASEAN to intervene and the government of Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Sen, to uphold his obligations under international law. The statement called on the premier to “sign and ratify further multilateral treaties which enshrine the rights of citizens, civil society, political parties, employees and the media”, urging China in particular to “understand the dangers” presented by the current government

Expressing significant concerns about the increasing instability in Cambodia, which is also affecting neighbouring countries – LI condemned the house arrest of Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP – LI full member) president Kem Sokha.

Liberal International’s full statement to the UN Human Rights Council can be found by clicking here.

Main Image:  UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré, Creative Commons 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)