Intro: What a difference a few weeks makes in Cambodia. At the start of the year, the main opposition leader was in self-imposed exile and key human rights activists were either in jail or awaiting trial on trumped-up charges of defaming strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen. It appeared Cambodia was sliding into all-out dictatorship.
But weeks before an important meeting of donor nations, the leader of this hand-out dependent nation suddenly dropped the lawsuits and made amends with his arch-rival. Peter Lloyd reports from Phnom Penh.
Hun Sen meets with Rainsy
Peter Lloyd : When political foes become political friends, it's pure theatre. Stage right, strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen. Stage left, opposition leader Sam Rainsy. Two once-bitter enemies bathing in a sudden outbreak of public niceness.
A few weeks ago, the opposition leader was in Parisian exile, sentenced to 18 months jail in absentia for defaming the prime minister. But when Rainsy penned a letter to Hun Sen expressing regret, past sins were forgiven.
Sam Rainsy, opposition leader: I did not apologise. I expressed regrets for some past incidents. But my letter expressing regrets have kind of broken the ice and we have started a dialogue.
Peter Lloyd: The warm and fuzzy feeling seems mutual.
Peter Lloyd: Prime Minister, are you all friends again?
Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister: Yeah.
Peter Lloyd: Can you work together?
Hun Sen: Welcome.
Inside parliament
Peter Lloyd: During the first session of parliament for the year, MPs rubber-stamped Rainsy's political comeback. He wasn't the only outspoken critic to feel the wrath of the strongman this past year. A handful of well-known democracy activists were slapped with lawsuits or jail.
Kek Galibru, rights campaigner: It's really bad for us because it sends a message to all of us working in civil society that freedom of expression faces a big problem.
Kek in office
Peter Lloyd: Kek Galibru runs a respected rights group called Licadho. She wasn't targeted herself but got the message that Hun Sen was on the warpath.
Lloyd with Kek
Peter Lloyd: So it did lead to self-censorship?
Kek Galibru: Yeah. Yes, yes. Exactly.
Peter Lloyd: You held back?
Kek Galibru: Yes. After that, you know, the radio, the talk show, we really were very careful what we said. We didn't know what was the limit.
Hun Sen leaves parliament
Peter Lloyd: The prime minister has promised to get rid of the law on defamation that he used against his critics. Rights campaigners remain suspicious about what the future holds.
Ear Sophal, researcher: This country is good for at least one crisis every two years. So, I'm sure that there's going to be more excitement in the future. It's just a matter of time really that were going to see something else happen. Another crisis take place.
Lloyd walks with Sophal Ear Sophal: I cam back because I felt that I had been given enough opportunities in the west to contribute to Cambodia.
Peter Lloyd: You could call Ear Sophal Hun Sen's worst nightmare. As a child, he escaped the Khmer Rouge regime. Now he's back, armed with an American education and ideas about building a better Cambodia. One of his specialties is corruption research.
Sophal Ear Sophal: You have arrangements whereby senior officials end up owning half of a company, having put no money into it, but because they facilitate the ability of that company to operate without hindrance, or maybe even with impunity.
Hun Sen outside parliament
Peter Lloyd: Hun Sen is the undisputed master of his domain. His change of heart on political criticism has lifted pressure from donor nations, who hand over half a billion dollars in aid every year. Indeed,
Rainsy at computer
Sam Rainsy is now the man under scrutiny. He'll have to show that he's not become the prime minister's poodle.Peter Lloyd: Are you confident that you can still oppose and criticise Hun Sen?
Sam Rainsy: Yes, I do. This is the role of a loyal opposition.
Peter Lloyd: What Rainsy's supporters find most galling was that he retracted the Holy Grail of opposition claims that it was Hun Sen who was behind a 1997 grenade attack on this park, just across the street from parliament, that claimed 15 lives. Witnesses said soldiers lingering around the demonstration threw three grenades into the crowd. Rainsy was quick to blame the government, but now puts it this way.
Sam Rainsy: Putting my past disputes with Prime Minister Hun Sen aside doesn't mean that I have abandoned the idea of finding justice.
Peter Lloyd: So your personal conviction isn't any different?
Sam Rainsy: It's just the way of expressing it.
Peter Lloyd: You're just not talking about it anymore?
Sam Rainsy: No.
Peter Lloyd: So, theoretically, his time will come.
Sam Rainsy: Yes.
Peter Lloyd: The test of Cambodia's political truce will come next year when local government elections are held across the country. A year after that, general elections are due.
Sam Rainsy: We hope and we have received some assurances that the next election will be more free and more fair, and more acceptable, and would better reflect the will of the people, than the previous elections.
Peter Lloyd: And those assurances came from Hun Sen direct?
Sam Rainsy: Yes.
Peter Lloyd: Written assurances?
Sam Rainsy: Not written, but I believe in his words.
Peter Lloyd: And youll hold him to it.
Sam Rainsy: Yes. I remind him every day.
But weeks before an important meeting of donor nations, the leader of this hand-out dependent nation suddenly dropped the lawsuits and made amends with his arch-rival. Peter Lloyd reports from Phnom Penh.
Hun Sen meets with Rainsy
Peter Lloyd : When political foes become political friends, it's pure theatre. Stage right, strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen. Stage left, opposition leader Sam Rainsy. Two once-bitter enemies bathing in a sudden outbreak of public niceness.
A few weeks ago, the opposition leader was in Parisian exile, sentenced to 18 months jail in absentia for defaming the prime minister. But when Rainsy penned a letter to Hun Sen expressing regret, past sins were forgiven.
Sam Rainsy, opposition leader: I did not apologise. I expressed regrets for some past incidents. But my letter expressing regrets have kind of broken the ice and we have started a dialogue.
Peter Lloyd: The warm and fuzzy feeling seems mutual.
Peter Lloyd: Prime Minister, are you all friends again?
Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister: Yeah.
Peter Lloyd: Can you work together?
Hun Sen: Welcome.
Inside parliament
Peter Lloyd: During the first session of parliament for the year, MPs rubber-stamped Rainsy's political comeback. He wasn't the only outspoken critic to feel the wrath of the strongman this past year. A handful of well-known democracy activists were slapped with lawsuits or jail.
Kek Galibru, rights campaigner: It's really bad for us because it sends a message to all of us working in civil society that freedom of expression faces a big problem.
Kek in office
Peter Lloyd: Kek Galibru runs a respected rights group called Licadho. She wasn't targeted herself but got the message that Hun Sen was on the warpath.
Lloyd with Kek
Peter Lloyd: So it did lead to self-censorship?
Kek Galibru: Yeah. Yes, yes. Exactly.
Peter Lloyd: You held back?
Kek Galibru: Yes. After that, you know, the radio, the talk show, we really were very careful what we said. We didn't know what was the limit.
Hun Sen leaves parliament
Peter Lloyd: The prime minister has promised to get rid of the law on defamation that he used against his critics. Rights campaigners remain suspicious about what the future holds.
Ear Sophal, researcher: This country is good for at least one crisis every two years. So, I'm sure that there's going to be more excitement in the future. It's just a matter of time really that were going to see something else happen. Another crisis take place.
Lloyd walks with Sophal Ear Sophal: I cam back because I felt that I had been given enough opportunities in the west to contribute to Cambodia.
Peter Lloyd: You could call Ear Sophal Hun Sen's worst nightmare. As a child, he escaped the Khmer Rouge regime. Now he's back, armed with an American education and ideas about building a better Cambodia. One of his specialties is corruption research.
Sophal Ear Sophal: You have arrangements whereby senior officials end up owning half of a company, having put no money into it, but because they facilitate the ability of that company to operate without hindrance, or maybe even with impunity.
Hun Sen outside parliament
Peter Lloyd: Hun Sen is the undisputed master of his domain. His change of heart on political criticism has lifted pressure from donor nations, who hand over half a billion dollars in aid every year. Indeed,
Rainsy at computer
Sam Rainsy is now the man under scrutiny. He'll have to show that he's not become the prime minister's poodle.Peter Lloyd: Are you confident that you can still oppose and criticise Hun Sen?
Sam Rainsy: Yes, I do. This is the role of a loyal opposition.
Peter Lloyd: What Rainsy's supporters find most galling was that he retracted the Holy Grail of opposition claims that it was Hun Sen who was behind a 1997 grenade attack on this park, just across the street from parliament, that claimed 15 lives. Witnesses said soldiers lingering around the demonstration threw three grenades into the crowd. Rainsy was quick to blame the government, but now puts it this way.
Sam Rainsy: Putting my past disputes with Prime Minister Hun Sen aside doesn't mean that I have abandoned the idea of finding justice.
Peter Lloyd: So your personal conviction isn't any different?
Sam Rainsy: It's just the way of expressing it.
Peter Lloyd: You're just not talking about it anymore?
Sam Rainsy: No.
Peter Lloyd: So, theoretically, his time will come.
Sam Rainsy: Yes.
Peter Lloyd: The test of Cambodia's political truce will come next year when local government elections are held across the country. A year after that, general elections are due.
Sam Rainsy: We hope and we have received some assurances that the next election will be more free and more fair, and more acceptable, and would better reflect the will of the people, than the previous elections.
Peter Lloyd: And those assurances came from Hun Sen direct?
Sam Rainsy: Yes.
Peter Lloyd: Written assurances?
Sam Rainsy: Not written, but I believe in his words.
Peter Lloyd: And youll hold him to it.
Sam Rainsy: Yes. I remind him every day.