PHNOM PENH: Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen on Tuesday threatened to seize the property of opposition leader Sam Rainsy and sell the party’s headquarters if he wins a defamation case against the exiled politician. The one-million-dollar lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal cases targeting Cambodian opposition leaders trying to break Hun Sen’s 32-year grip on power. Responding on Twitter, Rainsy sought to brand Hun Sen’s threats as signs that he was “panicking” ahead of looming elections. “Hun Sen can no longer appeal to electorate, so personally hounds me, as symbol of resistance to autocratic, corrupt power,” he wrote. Rainsy’s opposition party made huge gains in the 2013 elections and say they only lost because the vote was stolen—a claim Hun Sen has vigorously rejected.

Source: Manila Times January 31, 2017 09:33 UTC