Cambodia: Exiled opposition activist 'bombing plot' thwarted

Event

Prime Minister Hun Sen declared on Tuesday, April 10, that authorities had thwarted a plot by an exiled opposition activist to carry out two bombings ahead of the traditional new year celebrations. Hun Sen, speaking to students at a university ceremony in the capital Phnom Penh, said Sam Serey, leader of an opposition group based in Denmark, had plotted to perpetrate the attacks on April 12 in the capital and in the tourist hub of Siem Reap.

Context

Veteran leader Hun Sen is preparing for a July general election that he is widely expected to win, with the main opposition party banned and its leaders lumbered with legal cases that have blocked them from running. A court dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party last year after it was found guilty of plotting to take power with the help of the US. Rights groups consider the case may be another attempt to discredit the opposition and to intimidate opponents.

Advice

As a precautionary measure, individuals present in Cambodia are advised to monitor local media, avoid all protests and demonstrations (as they could turn violent), and refrain from discussing domestic political issues with locals.