In an interview Tuesday, Feb 8, at the Washington DC offices of VOA with the Khmer Service's Reasey Poch, the leader of Cambodia's opposition party, Sam Rainsy, says he is in the United States to seek support for his party and the country's democratic movement.
Sam Rainsy and two of his top party members were stripped of their parliamentary immunity on Feb. 3 by the Cambodian National Assembly - a move which allows the Cambodian courts to proceed with charges against the three for alleged illegalities.
Sam Rainsy says he plans to meet with the US Senators and representatives of other institutions, such as the World Bank, to thank them for their support and to explain the deteriorating politicial situation in Cambodia.
In response to National Assembly President Norodom Ranariddh who said the U.S. should not interfere with the internal politics of Cambodia, Mr. Rainsy said Prince Ranariddh should not forget that without the U.S. and the international community, prince Ranariddh might have ended up in jail for a long time in 1997 when the Cambodian court found him guilty of staging a coup.