Legal woes stack up for Cambodia opposition leader

Cambodia's opposition leader faces fresh criminal charges carrying up to 17 years in jail, according to a summons seen by AFP yesterday, as Sam Rainsy's legal woes pile up while he is overseas.

Rainsy, who already faces a two-year jail term if he returns to the country, was charged on Thursday for being "an accomplice" in making a disputed document about the border with Vietnam.

The legal cases are mounting against Rainsy, who deferred a return to the kingdom earlier this week after a court suddenly activated the sentence for an earlier defamation conviction he never served.

Rainsy, Prime Minister Hun Sen's main rival, has accused the strongman premier of a "constitutional coup" by prodding the courts to act against him.

Hun Sen has ruled Cambodia for three decades through a mix of repression, political pragmatism and canny use of the courts.

The new charges, listed on the court summons, allege he was "an accomplice in forging a public document, using a forged public document and incitement to cause unrest".

They are linked to a document circulated on the Facebook page of an opposition senator about a contentious border treaty with Vietnam.

Hun Sen accused the senator, who was arrested, of treason by posting a "doctored" version of the treaty.

The summons orders Rainsy to appear in court on December 4 or face another arrest warrant.

Rainsy's latest round of woes began last week after he verbally sparred with Hun Sen, calling for full democracy for Cambodia -- citing recent successful elections in Myanmar.

Hun Sen was enraged and threatened legal action. Days later a warrant was issued on the old defamation conviction.

Rainsy, who is currently believed to be in the Philippines, was also stripped of his parliamentary immunity from prosecution.

Officials from his Cambodia National Rescue Party could not be immediately reached for comment.

The opposition leader, who holds both Cambodian and French nationality, has gone into self-imposed exile on two previous occasions.

He returned to Cambodia most recently ahead of flawed 2013 elections after receiving a royal pardon for a string of outstanding charges against him.

But that did not apparently include a 2011 defamation conviction for accusing the foreign minister of being a member the Khmer Rouge regime.