Mu Sochua, an opposition lawmaker who testified before US Congress Thursday, said her trip to the US had meant more attention to Cambodia’s rights issues and more monitoring of the situation by the US.
The US will work to end injustice in the court and other crackdowns, she said, as a guest on “Hello VOA” Monday, following talks with senior US officials.
“First, they will send a team of high-level delegates to clearly assess the situation in Cambodia,” said Mu Sochua, who represents the Sam Rainsy Party for Kampot province. “And second, they said aid must be attached to the respect of human rights. Third, they will pay close attention and they will monitor and take action to end the use of injustice in the courts to crack down on opposition members of parliament.”
Mu Sochua was referring to herself and SRP lawmaker Ho Vann, both of whom had their immunity stripped earlier this year and faced lawsuits from high-level officials.
She testified Thursday before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US House of Representatives, along with Kek Galabru, founder of the rights group Lichado, and Moeun Tola, of the Community Legal Education Center.
Cambodian officials dismissed the hearing as biased and denied many of the accusations of its participants as exaggerations.
“What I came to testify here for was not my personal interest,” Mu Sochua said Monday, “but the people’s interest.”