(아시아/캄보디아) 캄보디아 야당지도자 체포는 정권연장 위한 포석

출처: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41158333

Treason charge for Cambodian opposition leader accused of US plot

• 5 September 2017
 
• From the sectionAsia

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Image copyrightAFP/GETTY IMAGES

Image captionKem Sokha (left) was seized by police early on Sunday morning

A Cambodian court has charged the opposition leader with treason, amid concerns over the country's increasingly authoritarian rule.

Kem Sokha has been accused of colluding with the US to conspire against the Cambodian government. If found guilty, he faces up to 30 years in jail. (collude with: ~와 공모, 결탁하다) (conspire against: ~를 거슬러 음모를 꾸미다)

Kem Sokha's arrest on Sunday was the latest in a series of moves seen as clamping down on critics and the press. (clamp down on~: ~을 탄압하다 = crack down on)

It comes ahead of a general election due next year in Cambodia. 이런 야당과 반대세력에 대한 탄압은 내년 캄보디아 총선을 염두에 두고 나온 조치임.

Kem Sokha's Cambodia National Rescue Party was seen as a contender to the ruling party led by strongman Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than 30 years. 켐 속하가 이끄는 캄보디아구국당은 지난 30년간 집권하고 있는 훈센 총리와 여당의 주요한 경쟁상대였음.

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A court statement on Tuesday stated that he was involved in "a secret plan" and "activities of conspiracy" with foreigners "which causes chaos and affects the kingdom of Cambodia", reported The Phnom Penh Post. 이 사건은 수 년 전 박근혜 정권이 이정희의 통합진보당을 강제해산 했던 사건을 떠올린다. 사악한 통치자들은 이렇게 반대세력을 제압하고 국민을 기만하며 정권을 연장한다. 이런 비정상적 정권연장의 목적은 자신과 가문의 사리사욕을 마음껏 채우기 위함 아니겠나?

The opposition leader and lawmaker, who was arrested despite having parliamentary immunity, had reportedly appeared in a 2013 video telling supporters that he received US support and advice for political strategy.

His lawyer, Pheng Heng, denied this was a crime, telling Reuters news agency: "His words are educational in a workshop... What he talked about was elections in a multi-party democratic way."

The UN's human rights high commissioner, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said he was "seriously concerned" about Kem Sokha's arrest, which was carried out "with no respect for due process guarantees, including respect for (Kem Sokha's) parliamentary immunity".

He added that the arrest was "all the more worrying" given recent government measures.

Authorities have recently launched tax and regulatory probes into rights groups and media companies, in moves which critics say are aimed at silencing opponents. 당국에서 인권단체들과 언론기관들에게 재갈을 물리기 위해 세무조사와 규제조사 등을 실시하기 시작했다.

A foreign non-profit group which investigated election irregularities was ordered to leave last month, while independent newspaper The Cambodia Daily was forced to shut down this week. 선거부정을 조사했던 외국계 비영리 그룹이 지난 달 출국조치를 당했고, 독립언론 <The Cambodia Daily>가 이번 주 강제로 폐간당했다. (irregularities: 부조리, 부정)

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Growing pressure on the media

by Kevin Ponniah, BBC News

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionHun Sen has ruled Cambodia for more than 30 years

Aside from the Cambodia Daily, other independent media outlets - including the US government-funded Radio Free Asia and Voice of America - have also reportedly been accused of not complying with tax obligations. (comply with = obey = follow)

These outlets, and the Phnom Penh Post, a newspaper which so far has not faced similar accusations, frequently report on topics that embarrass the government, from illegal logging to corruption and human rights abuses.

The Cambodian government denies the cases are political and points to the considerable freedom critical journalists have in the country, which it says is a democracy.