CAMBODIAN OPPOSITION FIGURE MU SOCHUA PESSIMISTIC

UNCLAS BANGKOK 006947 SIPDIS SENSITIVE GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV CB TH CAMBODIA SUBJECT: CAMBODIAN OPPOSITION FIGURE MU SOCHUA PESSIMISTIC ABOUT CURRENT CAMBODIAN POLITICAL SITUATION Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Cambodian opposition figure Mu Sochua told Western diplomats on November 3 that the general political atmosphere in her country was worsening and that additional Cambodian political activists would likely flee to Thailand. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Sam Rainsy Party member Mu Sochua briefed Western diplomats on the Cambodian political situation at a November 3 meeting arranged by the New Zealand Embassy. Sochua was accompanied by representatives from Forum Asia, a human rights NGO. Sochua was on her way to Japan where she will speak at two human rights events. ¶3. (SBU) Sochua described Hun Sen's political crackdown in the aftermath of Cambodia's signing of a border agreement with Vietnam. She said that the general political situation was worsening, noting that she herself had felt threatened in the current atmosphere. She stated that she and other party leaders were counseling calm, even though many in the rank-and-file wanted to take to the streets to protest against Hun Sen. Despite current conditions, she would return to Cambodia even if it meant she would be arrested. She encouraged the diplomats present to put pressure on the Hun Sen government, including asking for permission to see recently-jailed political activists. ¶4. (SBU) Sochua expressed concern about the safety of the three members of the Cambodia Watchdog Council (CWC) who recently fled to Thailand. She said that she expected more Cambodian political activists to take the same course of action given the current political situation. 5 (SBU) In a subsequent discussion, the diplomats present, including Refcoord, described their actions on behalf of the three CWC members. The Canadian and EU representatives noted that their Missions had expressed concern about the three to the Thai government and urged the Thai not to deport them to Cambodia. The Canadian representative said that he believed Canada would resettle the three if asked to do so. There was agreement to remain in contact on the issue and to keep open the possibility of a joint demarche to the Thai if warranted. ¶6. (U) This message was cleared by Embassy Phnom Penh. BOYCE