Sam Rainsy: Thousands of supporters will walk with me into Cambodia
INTERVIEW | Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy had a plan to rally with thousands of his supporters into his country via the Thai border last Saturday.
It did not come to fruition as Thai Airways blocked him from boarding a flight from Paris to Bangkok...
INTERVIEW | Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy had a plan to rally with thousands of his supporters into his country via the Thai border last Saturday.
It did not come to fruition as Thai Airways blocked him from boarding a flight from Paris to Bangkok.
The 70-year-old leader, who has been living in exile since 2015, told Malaysiakini that he is far from throwing in the towel despite the hurdle which hampered his plan to return during the country's independence day.
Rainsy is still hoping for Thailand to open the door for him to proceed with the plan.
"On my return to Thailand, even if (Prime Minister) Hun Sen stations rifle-toting men at the border, I will not back down as I have thousands of migrant workers (in Thailand) to walk with me.
"I'm prepared to sacrifice my life. If he shoots us, he will be in trouble and would face the International Criminal Court," Rainsy said during an interview in Putrajaya yesterday.
It is reported that the Cambodian government beefed up security at the border on Saturday. In the capital Phnom Penh, security forces patrolled in trucks during on that day, Nov 9, which is Cambodia's Independence Day.
Rainsy said his party, the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), is mounting pressure on his government, in and out of the country, with the European Union (EU) all set to decide tomorrow whether to suspend the trade privilege with Hun Sen's government for having failed to restore democracy in the country.
"EU said you can export your products to EU countries if you allow democracy to live again. The Hun Sen regime cannot resist this external pressure by the EU.
"The trade privilege is crucial for the Cambodian economy. It cannot survive without markets from EU," Rainsy added.
The 28-member EU is Cambodia’s largest trading partner and accounted for 45% of its exports worth about US$5.5 billion in 2018. Countries must meet international norms of human rights and democracy to qualify for EU trade preferences.
According to Rainsy, the people were waiting for him and other exiled leaders to return and fight for their plights at home.
"Cambodia's population is 16 million, where more than half are under 35 - young people.
"They want change. They see that countries all over the world are developed and have changed leaderships. They see their own country has remained poor and backward. The living conditions are bad.
"This is why support for Hun Sen has plummeted. He knew and he grew increasingly authoritarian. He can't afford to have an election because the demographic trend is against him."
Rainsy explained that due to the lack of job opportunities, two million young people had migrated to Thailand to find jobs. In Malaysia, there are about 50,000 Cambodian immigrants, he added.
"The migrant workers are homesick, they are not happy. They think of their country, hometowns and families. And they blame Hun Sen.
"They ask why don't they have job opportunities in their homeland," he said.
Rainsy blamed the government's mismanagement of the economy, corruption and incompetence for the country's problems.
"The people asked me to continue fighting for them and for democracy. They told me to never give up hope because the fight for democracy and freedom is an arduous journey.
"We cannot expect to win overnight. It may take decades. It could seem impossible, but when you are at the top of the difficulties, it is the beginning of the solution," said the soft-spoken man.
Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than 20 years, has accused opposition leaders who are planning to return to the country of wanting to stage a coup.
In 2017, the CNRP was banned and many of its leaders went into exile. This resulted in Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party winning 100% of the National Assembly seats at the general election last year.
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