U.S. successfully lobbies Cambodia to release 4 detained activists

Christopher Hill,
U.S. assistant secretary of state for
East Asia and Pacific affairs(Photo AFP)

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 17 (Kyodo)

The United States successfully lobbied Cambodia's leader Hun Sen on Tuesday to release on bail four detained human rights and pro-democracy activists, a senior government official said.

Om Yin Tieng, senior adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, told reporters that the prime minister agreed to the release after meeting in Phnom Penh with Christopher Hill, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs.

Hun Sen "is going to write a letter requesting for release on bail of those who have been put in pretrial detention," Om Yin Tieng said.

"It is a gift to Christopher Hill who is on his mission to inaugurate a new U.S. Embassy in Cambodia," he said.

Hill is on two-day mission to Cambodia to take part in the inaugural ceremony of the new U.S. Embassy and to meet with key government officials.

Two leaders of Cambodian Center for Human Rights and two government critics are in jail facing defamation charges filed by the government.

Kem Sokha, president of the CCHR, and Pa Nguon Teang, vice president of the center, were jailed following charges which stem from a banner unfurled at a December human rights rally criticizing Hun Sen over a controversial border treaty recently signed with Vietnam.

The other two in jail are radio journalist Mom Sonando and Rong Chhum, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, who were both detained on charges of criminal defamation and incitement for questioning the border treaty with Vietnam.

On Dec. 22, opposition party leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison on charges of defaming Hun Sen and Prince Norodom Ranariddh, president of the National Assembly.

The arrests and detentions have led to expressions of serious concern inside and outside Cambodia over the setback of human rights respect and democracy in the country, which has been ruled by Hun Sen for two decades.

On Jan. 4, the U.S. State Department condemned the arrests of Kem Sokha and of Yeng Virak, director of the Community Legal Education Center, on criminal defamation charges. Yeng Virak was released recently on bail.