Cambodian opposition leader’s daughter defends her government role

Phnom Penh – The daughter of Cambodia’s opposition leader defended her new role in the government that once detained her father, telling AFP on Aug 19 it had “nothing to do” with him.

Kem Monovithya was appointed on Aug 17 as a “special envoy” to Prime Minister Hun Manet with a rank equal to a government minister, just months after her father Kem Sokha was pardoned.

Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in prison in 2023 after being convicted of trying to topple the government of former leader Hun Sen – Hun Manet’s father – who remains highly influential.

The leader of the court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Kem Sokha was pardoned and released from house arrest in May, but is still banned from running for office.

Analysts say Kem Monovithya’s government role signalled a further weakening of the opposition – and her father’s political neutralisation.

“This role has nothing to do with my father, the opposition or the ruling party,” she told AFP in an e-mail.

Her appointment followed a meeting between her, Kem Sokha and Hun Sen at the weekend, while she also met Hun Manet last week.

“Political differences are one thing; our responsibility to Cambodia is another,” she said.

Cambodia’s ruling family has a long history of co-opting opponents during its decades in power, with Hun Sen offering government positions to opposition politicians and activists.

Kem Monovithya said her new position would focus on “international affairs”, with an emphasis on economic development and “safeguarding Cambodia’s territorial integrity” after border areas were “illegally occupied by Thai military forces”.

More than 20,000 Cambodians remain displaced from areas along the border with Thailand now controlled by Thai forces following military clashes in 2025, Phnom Penh has said.

Hun Manet said on Aug 19 that Kem Monovithya would help with diplomacy abroad, citing the border dispute with Thailand.

“I ask that people look beyond politics and judge this by the nature of the role and my actions,” Kem Monovithya said.

Former senior CNRP leader Mu Sochua, who lives in the United States, said the position for Kem Monovithya likely reflected an effort by the government to “address international scrutiny” and “demonstrate responsiveness to external concerns”.

Western nations, including the US, have long called for Kem Sokha’s full release and restoration of his political rights.

“The Kem family has negotiated for position in the government and their own freedom,” Mu Sochua told AFP via e-mail.

But “political prisoners” and jailed local opposition members were not included in the “political deal”, she said.

Around 50 opposition politicians and political activists are currently jailed on charges related to their public statements or activism, according to local rights group LICADHO. AFP