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Cambodia ruling party shrugs off ‘useless’ US visa sanctions
PHNOM PENH, Aug 16, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – US travel sanctions targeting
Cambodian officials are “useless”, a ruling party spokesman said Thursday, as
the kingdom shrugs off international criticism of a one-sided election win.
The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) led by strongman Hun Sen won all 125
seats in parliament during last month’s poll.
The main opposition did not contest the vote after a court dissolved the
party, clearing the way for a landslide victory for the CPP.
Western governments have decried the election and the US State Department
on Wednesday announced an expansion of visa restrictions to include
Cambodians responsible for a crackdown on dissent in the run-up to the
“flawed” vote.
But a spokesman for the CPP called the move “useless”.
“The restrictions or so-called sanctions on Cambodia will not be
effective,” Sok Eysan said.
“For example, if I don’t want to go to that country, how can they block my
visa?”
Washington did not name the officials targeted by the expanded list but it
has already hit the chief of Hun Sen’s bodyguard unit with financial
sanctions in June.
The CPP is hailing an 83 percent turnout as a sign of a overwhelming
popular support.
But critics say the election was a sham and highlight the 600,000 spoiled
ballots as a sign of serious disquiet while others were intimidated into
casting ballots.
Relations have soured between the US and Cambodia in recent years.
Hun Sen, who has been in power for 33 years, has instead turned to China
for cash and loans to make good on development promises.
The 66-year-old accused the opposition last year of conspiring with the US
in a plot to overthrow the government, and police arrested opposition leader
Kem Sokha on treason charges.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1200 hrs