Chea Mony, greets supporters after arriving in Phnom Penh, 1 February, 2006. [AFP] Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Cambodian labour leader Chea Mony has returned home after fleeing the country last year amid dissent over Cambodia's border pact with Vietnam.
Chea Mony could face jail for defamation, but says he returned after Prime Minister Hun Sen promised leniency in exchange for written admissions from his critics that they were wrong.
Hun Sen said last week he would withdraw his defamation complaints, but confirmed Monday the courts would not dismiss the cases.
Chea Mony was one of several activists who in October condemned the border agreement, which critics say cedes Cambodian territory to its eastern neighbour.
Dissent over the border pact sparked a wave of defamation arrests and drove several government critics abroad.
The five arrested during the crackdown have since been released on bail following mounting international pressure on Hun Sen.
Four of the five have made statements regretting their actions or acknowledging the legitimacy of the border pact.
In a letter issued Wednesday, Chea Mony says he recognises the agreement because it was approved by Cambodia's elected legislature and signed by the King.
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