Kerry urges Cambodia to give space for political debate

Phnom Penh (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday urged Cambodia's leader Hun Sen to allow "vigorous but peaceful" political debate, following accusations that he silences opponents in a bid to extend his three-decade grip on power. Hun Sen, who has ruled for 31 years through a mix of hard power and political guile, has tied up a resurgent opposition in legal charges over recent months and ramped up prosecutions of online critics. Kerry, who arrived in Phnom Penh from neighbouring Laos, hailed Cambodia for rebooting its economy after the fanatical rule of the Maoist Khmer Rouge, which left up to a quarter of the population dead before its defeat in the mid-1970s.

Cambodia has become one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economies. But America's top diplomat said he did not shy away from the sticking points in "candid" talks with Hun Sen. Cambodia acts as a political windshield to China within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an alliance that has at times caused strain within the bloc in the face of increasingly aggressive Chinese claims in the South China Sea. US president, Barack Obama, has assiduously courted ASEAN as part of a diplomatic 'pivot' east aiming to offset China's trade and diplomatic might in Southeast Asia. Economic gains are also being offset by the threat posed to Cambodia's fragile democracy.

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