The daughter of an opposition party official who was detained just after the July parliamentary elections said her father has grown seriously ill and needs outside treatment.
Chao Veasna, the Candlelight Party’s executive chairman in Poipet city near the Thai border, has been suffering from constipation for several days and had difficulty eating and sleeping, his daughter told Radio Free Asia on Monday.
“He is facing a lot of illnesses that affect his health,” Chao Ratanak said. “I am not sure that the prison officials will take responsibility for his health, because they have not expedited his treatment.”
Chao Veasna was detained by Banteay Meanchey provincial authorities on July 25 – two days after the ruling Cambodian People’s Party swept an election that didn’t include any Candlelight Party candidates.
In May, the National Election Committee disqualified the party – the only serious contender to the CPP – because it couldn’t produce its original registration form. In response, many opposition activists urged voters to destroy their ballots as a form of protest.
Police arrested Chao Veasna just after he posted a photo of his spoiled ballot on social media, according to Chao Ratanak. He's been charged with incitement to commit a crime and inciting discrimination.
Chao Veasna has denied the allegations. He remains at the provincial prison and his health issues could become life-threatening if he isn’t taken to a hospital outside the prison soon, she told RFA on Monday.
Previous 5-year sentence
Prison officials have so far ignored requests from family members and civil society organizations, she said.
RFA attempted to contact provincial prison director Ung Siphan on Monday for a response to Chao Ratanak’s request.
Chao Veasna was previously sentenced to five years in prison in 2018 for “incitement to violence” in a case that stemmed from a 2015 protest in which transportation workers – angered over import taxes – hurled rocks at the Poipet Customs Department building.
He maintained that he was only observing the protest in an official capacity and did not incite workers, while NGOs called his conviction “politically motivated.”
Chao Veasna suffered from fevers and other chronic conditions including skin disease, liver problems and stomach ulcers during his time at Phnom Penh's notorious Prey Sar Prison. He was released in 2022 after completing his sentence.
Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed.