The brother of a prominent Cambodian activist has been arrested by local authorities, according to the activist and a Thai rights group.
Hay Vannith, a Cambodian scholar, was arrested and detained at the Poi Pet border in northwestern Cambodia after trying to travel to Thailand, Hay Vanna told VOA.
Hay Vanna, a Cambodian political activist living in Japan, said Vannith was detained on Friday.
“My brother has nothing to do with my political advocacy,” he told VOA Monday night. “He is a scholar, a civil servant and a professor at the National Institute of Public Health. I call for his immediate release. It has been more than 48 hours since we lost contact on August 16.”
Vannith, 28, studied in the US as a Fulbright Scholar and a graduate student at the Food Science Institute at Kansas State University. He works as a civil servant at the Ministry of Health in Cambodia.
Bangkok-based human rights group Manushya Foundation also reported the detentions.
Hay Vanna is the director of the Japan bureau of the Cambodia National Rescue Movement. His supporters include several former members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party. The party, often known as the CNRP, was outlawed in 2017 by Cambodia’s Supreme Court after it was found guilty of conspiring to overthrow the government. It was the only credible challenger to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in the 2013 national election and performed better than expected in the 2017 local elections.
Vanna continued to work for the Cambodian National Salvation Movement in Japan. Her activities abroad attracted the attention of Cambodian authorities.
In remarks broadcast on state TV on July 23, former Prime Minister Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly 40 years until last year, warned Vanna about his political advocacy.
“After posting a message on my social media, this person named Hay Vanna who lives in Japan commented on the so-called handover of four provinces in Cambodia to other parties,” Hun Sen said. “I did not reply. Instead, I immediately blocked him. But you (Vanna, ed.) do not need to be confused because you have family in Cambodia. And those who live here should not be arrogant. After hearing Vanna’s message… you should stop, otherwise…”
Hun Sen's comments relate to the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle, a project that encourages economic trade, but activists have voiced criticism, saying Cambodia risks ceding land to Vietnam.
Fearing reprisals, Vanna's family was forced to leave Cambodia in early August.
“My whole (family) fled Cambodia on August 4. Arrived in Japan on August 5. (My brother) was going to leave on August 16, (but) was caught,” Vanna told VOA.
Vanna said he remains in contact with Cambodian authorities about his brother's detention. Photos of Hay Vannith in custody and documents recording his arrest have been seen by VOA.
Vanna Hay said authorities accused Vannith of trying to “overthrow the government.”
“He was forced to provide false information,” Vanna said. “I call on the authoritarian regime of Hun Sen and Hun Manet to be more mature and dare to play politics with me directly, not with my brother. He is innocent.”
Emilie Palamy Pradichit, founder of the Manuysha Foundation, condemned the detention, saying Vannith was “unfairly targeted.”
“We strongly condemn the arbitrary detention of Vannith Hay by the Cambodian authorities,” he told VOA. “He was unfairly targeted simply because of his brother’s courage in supporting democracy.”
“The arbitrary detention of Vannith Hay violates Cambodia’s commitments under international law and its obligations to uphold the rights to liberty, security and freedom from discrimination. We call for the immediate release of Vannith Hay and urge the authorities to stop using family members as pawns in their efforts to silence dissent.”
The CPP has dominated Cambodian politics for more than 40 years. Dissidents, outspoken critics and political rivals of the CPP have often run into trouble with the law and the legal system. (about/after)
