MGR Online — Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen met with former opposition leader Kem Sokha today (16), with the ruling party leader revealing that he spoke with Kem Sokha and his family for three hours, praising Kem Sokha's daughter, Kem Monovithya, as a "top human resource for the nation."
Hun Sen has been in increasing contact with Kem Sokha since the latter received a royal pardon and began making public appearances again. Kem Sokha was once one of Hun Sen's most significant political rivals.
In a social media post, Hun Sen noted that Kem Sokha had visited him at his home several weeks ago, before the former opposition leader traveled to visit displaced soldiers and civilians affected by the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict.
"Several weeks ago, His Excellency Kem Sokha came to meet me at my home, before going to visit soldiers and displaced persons," Hun Sen wrote.
He said Kem Sokha came to his home again on Sunday (16), accompanied by his wife and daughter, and that their conversation lasted three hours, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
The former Khmer leader did not, however, disclose what topics were covered during the three-hour discussion, nor whether any political issues were raised.
Nevertheless, one of the most striking elements of Hun Sen's post was his direct praise of the former opposition leader's daughter. He noted that he spent much of the meeting talking with Kem Sokha's daughter.
"I spoke a great deal with niece Kem Monovithya. She is truly a top human resource for the nation," Hun Sen wrote.
The remark carries significant weight, as Kem Monovithya had previously been a prominent figure in her father's Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) before the Supreme Court ordered the party's dissolution in 2017.
This latest meeting comes amid growing public interest in the contacts between Kem Sokha's family and the country's current political leadership, as the former opposition leader has begun making public appearances after facing years of legal restrictions.
Kem Sokha, the former founder and president of the CNRP, was sentenced in 2023 to 27 years in prison on treason charges related to conspiring with a foreign power. He was placed under house arrest and subjected to restrictions on his political activities and movements.
The Phnom Penh Court of Appeal upheld the verdict on 30 April 2026, maintaining the 27-year prison sentence and a five-year ban on traveling abroad.
However, Kem Sokha received a royal pardon on 25 May, bringing his remaining prison sentence and house arrest to an end, though restrictions on his participation in political activities remained in effect.
A royal decree issued additionally on 24 July lifted the five-year travel ban, further easing the restrictions on the former opposition leader, though the prohibition on political activities remained unchanged.
On 28 July, Kem Sokha made a public appearance, traveling to Banteay Meanchey province to meet with families of displaced persons affected by the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict.
During that visit, Kem Sokha said he was acting as an ordinary citizen and was not representing any political party or state institution. He also said he had raised the issue of the fate of displaced Cambodians in discussions with members of the international community.
Hun Sen and Kem Sokha had stood on opposite sides of Cambodia's political landscape for many years, particularly when the CNRP became the country's largest opposition party and mounted a challenge to the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
The CNRP significantly increased its vote share in both the 2013 national elections and the 2017 commune elections, before the Supreme Court ordered the party's dissolution in November 2017, two months after Kem Sokha was arrested.
Against that backdrop, the two private meetings, Kem Sokha's public appearances, and Hun Sen's direct praise of Kem Monovithya have drawn attention to the evolving relationship between the former political adversaries.
Hun Sen's description of Kem Monovithya as a valuable human resource is particularly noteworthy given her political background, even though he did not indicate whether the remark was intended to signal any future public or political role for her.
Neither side has announced that the latest meeting involved any political agreement, reconciliation process, or plans for a political role for Kem Sokha or Kem Monovithya.
