Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday ordered the military to “attack” exiled leaders of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) if they enter the country as planned next month to lead protests against his rule, as authorities continued a crackdown on the party’s supporters.
Speaking at a ceremony in the capital Phnom Penh to mark the graduation of exceptional high school students, Hun Sen ordered defense minister Tea Banh to deploy all forces and “state-of-the-art weapons” to prevent the repatriation of CNRP leaders, including acting president Sam Rainsy, who has vowed to return on Nov. 9 to lead a “restoration of democracy” in the country. “Attack them wherever you see them—you don’t need arrest warrants at all,” he said, adding that “All armed forces are authorized to carry out this attack.”
Speaking at a ceremony in the capital Phnom Penh to mark the graduation of exceptional high school students, Hun Sen ordered defense minister Tea Banh to deploy all forces and “state-of-the-art weapons” to prevent the repatriation of CNRP leaders, including acting president Sam Rainsy, who has vowed to return on Nov. 9 to lead a “restoration of democracy” in the country. “Attack them wherever you see them—you don’t need arrest warrants at all,” he said, adding that “All armed forces are authorized to carry out this attack.”
