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Four Cambodia opposition party officials arrested, 17 fined for ‘disrupting’ election – JURIST

Four officials from the Cambodian opposition Candlelight Party were arrested for spoiling ballots, inciting people to destroy ballots, and disturbing the peace during the recent Cambodia general election, Cambodian authorities also fined 17 other opposition activists and politicians and banned them from holding elected office for 20 years over similar charges.Those arrested include Ly Ry and Bun Kat, who were detained Friday, and Eng Sroy and Vong Runy, arrested Monday. Ly Ry is a member of the Candlelight Party steering committee and Bun Kat is the party’s lead representative in Phnom Penh. They have both been charged with inciting others to destroy ballots, according to Phnom Penh municipal police chief Sar Thet. Eng Sroy is the Tbong Khmum province party chief and Vong Runy is the head of the Candlelight Party’s women’s movement. Both were arrested for involvement in alleged “riots” surrounding the general election according to arrest warrants.Exiled former opposition party leader Sam Rainsy, who was one of those fined and banned from holding office, commented on the legal actions, saying, “Given the secrecy of the ballot, there is no way that spoiling the ballot or incitement to spoil the ballot can be considered as crime.”The arrests and fines come after a contentious and controversial general election. Most of the arrests were charged under the amended election law passed just before the election, which heavily penalized any “disruptions” to the electoral process. The changes included new registration requirements for political parties and criminalized telling people not to vote or spoiling ballots.The Candlelight Party was disqualified from participating in the general election due to the registration requirements. Cambodia’s National Election Committee (NEC) claimed the disqualification was due to a lack of paperwork for the party’s registration; however, the Candlelight Party claimed the paperwork was lost during a government raid.The ruling party won the election, maintaining power. But many experts have asserted the election was a foregone conclusion due to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s crackdown on political opposition and freedom of the press.The Freedom in the World Index, maintained by the advocacy group Freedom House, has classified Cambodia as “not free” due to the repression of political opposition, undemocratic electoral processes, widespread corruption and frequent incursions on freedom of speech and the press.