The appointment of Hun Manet as prime minister of Cambodia has disappointed those hoping for increased civil liberties following the lengthy rule of his father, Hun Sen. Despite being educated in the U.S. and Britain, Hun Manet’s administration has intensified crackdowns on dissent, imprisoning environmental activists and journalists such as Mech Dara, and executing deportations of critics from abroad. Experts express concern that the political space for free expression is shrinking, contradicting earlier expectations for a liberalizing government.
Cambodia's Transition: Dissent Restricted Under Hun Manet
Cambodia's Transition: Dissent Restricted Under Hun Manet
Cambodia's civil liberties continue to decline under the leadership of Hun Manet, raising concerns among activists and international observers.
The article text:
Until last year, Cambodia was dominated politically by a single leader, Hun Sen, who held the prime ministership for an unprecedented nearly 40 years. His authoritarian governance stifled opposition voices, curtailed civil liberties, and systematically marginalized independent media outlets.
When Hun Sen appointed his eldest son, Hun Manet, as his successor in August 2023, there was a brief flicker of hope among Cambodians that the new administration, influenced by educational experiences in the West, might herald an era of enhanced civil rights and political freedoms. However, these hopes quickly faded.
In recent months, the Cambodian government has arrested numerous environmental activists, a move widely condemned as politically motivated. Among the victims of this crackdown is Mech Dara, a respected journalist who was detained for nearly a month, highlighting the ongoing threats to press freedom in the country. The government has also taken measures against Cambodians abroad, ensuring the deportation of dissenters from countries like Thailand and Malaysia.
"The space for expression has been at a low base, probably since 2014, and is shrinking further," has stated Marc Thayre, the British deputy ambassador to Cambodia, reflecting the grim reality faced by many in the country. This sentiment resonates with international observers, including Vitit Muntarbhorn, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, who noted that the anticipated liberal shift under the new generation of leadership appears increasingly unlikely. "Now it looks as though there is no sign of liberalization at all," he remarked.
Overall, the developments under Hun Manet's administration signal a persistent trend towards autocracy rather than a movement towards democratic reforms, keeping public discourse and dissent firmly under the government's thumb.
Until last year, Cambodia was dominated politically by a single leader, Hun Sen, who held the prime ministership for an unprecedented nearly 40 years. His authoritarian governance stifled opposition voices, curtailed civil liberties, and systematically marginalized independent media outlets.
When Hun Sen appointed his eldest son, Hun Manet, as his successor in August 2023, there was a brief flicker of hope among Cambodians that the new administration, influenced by educational experiences in the West, might herald an era of enhanced civil rights and political freedoms. However, these hopes quickly faded.
In recent months, the Cambodian government has arrested numerous environmental activists, a move widely condemned as politically motivated. Among the victims of this crackdown is Mech Dara, a respected journalist who was detained for nearly a month, highlighting the ongoing threats to press freedom in the country. The government has also taken measures against Cambodians abroad, ensuring the deportation of dissenters from countries like Thailand and Malaysia.
"The space for expression has been at a low base, probably since 2014, and is shrinking further," has stated Marc Thayre, the British deputy ambassador to Cambodia, reflecting the grim reality faced by many in the country. This sentiment resonates with international observers, including Vitit Muntarbhorn, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, who noted that the anticipated liberal shift under the new generation of leadership appears increasingly unlikely. "Now it looks as though there is no sign of liberalization at all," he remarked.
Overall, the developments under Hun Manet's administration signal a persistent trend towards autocracy rather than a movement towards democratic reforms, keeping public discourse and dissent firmly under the government's thumb.
