{"id":478235,"date":"2022-01-19T23:21:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T23:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rfa.org\/english\/news\/cambodia\/trial-01192022181455.html"},"modified":"2022-01-19T23:21:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T23:21:00","slug":"kem-sokha-goes-on-trial-in-cambodia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2022\/01\/19\/kem-sokha-goes-on-trial-in-cambodia\/","title":{"rendered":"Kem Sokha goes on trial in Cambodia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

The trial on treason charges of Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha went ahead as scheduled on Wednesday, with the court allowing opening statements before postponing the proceedings for another week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters before the trial began, the former opposition party chief said he still hopes that a political solution can be reached in his case, and that the charges against him will be dismissed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope today that the court will drop the charges against me so that Cambodia can move forward toward national reconciliation. We must have national unity so that we can develop the country together,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kem Sokha, then president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, was arrested in September 2017 over an alleged plot backed by the United States to overthrow the government of Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 35 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cambodia\u2019s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP two months later in a move that allowed Hun Sen\u2019s Cambodian People\u2019s Party to win all 125 seats in Parliament in a July 2018 election and drew U.S. sanctions and the suspension of trade privileges with the European Union.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kem Sokha declined on Wednesday to say if he will stand for election in local polls this year or in a national election in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though not questioning Kem Sokha directly, the court heard opening statements from his lawyers and from government lawyers prosecuting the case. The court also allowed the playing of an edited 30-minute excerpt from the video of a speech given by Kem Sokha in Australia in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n

Defense lawyer Chan Chen told reporters after the court adjourned that he had asked that the entire unedited video be played in order to prove Kem Sokha\u2019s innocence. \u201cAs you know, there was no collusion with foreigners to commit violent acts or to topple the government,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n