MGR Online — The daughter of Kem Sokha, the former leader of Cambodia's opposition party, has been appointed as an adviser to Prime Minister Hun Manet, a surprising move that analysts say will further weaken the government's opponents.
The appointment of Kem Monovithya, Kem Sokha's daughter, as the Prime Minister's "Special Envoy" was formally announced in a royal decree signed by the King of Cambodia on 17 August. The position carries a rank equivalent to that of a minister.
Hun Manet posted photographs of his meeting with Kem Monovithya on 14 August on social media, describing it as a collaboration among a new generation of politicians, and said that cooperation was necessary for an important mission in the national interest — particularly in representing Cambodia on the international stage.
Kem Sokha, Kem Monovithya's father, was sentenced to 27 years in prison in 2023 after being convicted of attempting to overthrow the government of Hun Sen, Hun Manet's father, who remains highly influential.
He was granted a royal pardon in May but remains barred from standing as a candidate in elections for political office.
Cambodia's ruling family has a long history of drawing opponents and rivals into its fold over the decades it has held power, with Hun Sen frequently offering government positions to opposition politicians and activists.
Hun Sen and Kem Sokha held a three-hour meeting over the weekend, while last week Hun Manet met with Kem Monovithya.
Political analyst Ou Virak said that Kem Sokha has been diminished by this latest move.
"This will certainly undermine the already weakened opposition. You will see the opposition fracture even further," Ou Virak said.
The FUNCINPEC party, which won the United Nations-backed elections in 1993, was weakened after spending years as part of Hun Sen's government.
Hun Sen stepped down from power in 2023 and handed power to his eldest son, Hun Manet.
Ou Virak said the latest appointment is part of a plan by the ruling party.
"This move will cause Kem Sokha to be seen as too close to the ruling party," Ou Virak added, noting that it will leave opposition supporters feeling disappointed.
Kem Sokha first ran for a seat in parliament in the 1993 elections — the country's first since emerging from the civil war and the genocide of the Khmer Rouge era in the 1970s.
He left politics in 2002 to establish the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, but five years later returned to the political arena with a new human rights party he had founded, which subsequently merged with the group of opposition leader Sam Rainsy to form the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).
The CNRP was dissolved by court order in 2017.
Human rights groups have long accused Cambodian authorities of using legal cases as a tool to silence the opposition and legitimate political dissent.
