Rights group slams Putrajaya for deporting Cambodian girl who criticized Hun Sen

KUALA LUMPUR – A Cambodian human rights organization has criticized Putrajaya for allegedly deporting a domestic worker to Cambodia over her online comments criticizing Cambodian government leaders.

In a statement, the Khmer Movement for Democracy (KMD) denounced the deportation of 36-year-old Nuon Toeun from Malaysia, noting that she was working here legally and had committed no crime other than expressing her views.

The group labeled the issue as an example of transnational repression perpetrated by the Cambodian government and said the forcible removal of Nuon Toeun from Malaysia back to her home country “without due process”, was a blatant violation of international law and a serious attack on human rights.

“Collaborating with the Cambodian regime in its abuse of the justice system to silence critics abroad will ultimately undermine the safety and security of all citizens in the region,” KMD warned.

“If left unchecked, these abuses could embolden other authoritarian and undemocratic regimes to commit similar acts of transnational repression.”

KMD also urged Malaysia and its partners in the United Nations Human Rights Council to take immediate action to address the issue, stressing that it is vital for the international community to send a clear message against tolerating human rights violations.

The Associated Press reported yesterday that Nuon Toeun, who had been working in Malaysia for several years, was arrested by police here last week at the request of the Cambodian government.

The agency quoted a spokesperson for the Cambodian Prisons Department as saying that Nuon Toeun was held at Prey Sar Prison in Phnom Penh upon her arrival in Cambodia on Tuesday.

She was subsequently charged with incitement to commit a crime or cause social disorder and incitement to discrimination on the grounds of race, religion or nationality. If she is found guilty of both charges, she faces up to five years in prison and a fine.

It is understood that a few days before her arrest here, Nuon Toeun posted a video on Facebook saying she was “expressing anger on behalf of the people living in Cambodia.”

“If I have sinned for cursing this despicable man, I gladly accept the sin for treating my people so badly,” she said, referring to Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Hun Sen was appointed Prime Minister of Cambodia in 1998. He went on to hold the position for 40 years before stepping down last year to take on the role of Senate President. His son, Hun Manet, is the current Prime Minister.

The Cambodian government, under the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, has long been accused by some quarters of silencing critics and political opponents.

Nuon Toeun’s arrest comes after Mech Dara, an award-winning Cambodian journalist whose work exposed corruption, environmental destruction and human trafficking, was arrested by Cambodian police on September 30 and charged with incitement to cause serious social chaos through his social media posts.

A group of 46 Cambodian media and civil society organizations had reportedly called for Mech Dara’s immediate release, saying his arrest “is a clear attempt to intimidate and silence him and other journalists.” – October 4, 2024

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