A domestic worker from Cambodia was apprehended and expelled from Malaysia after voicing critiques of Cambodian political leaders on social networking platforms.
A Cambodian prison authority and an opposition group declared last Thursday that 36-year-old Nuon Toeun, who had stayed in Malaysia for several years, was apprehended by Malaysian authorities last week due to a demand from the Cambodian government.
Various human rights organizations have criticized multiple Southeast Asian administrations for aiding one another in intimidating, detaining, and expelling political dissidents living abroad. The New York-based Human Rights Watch has urged the Thai authorities to cease compelling political dissidents to return to their oppressive homelands, such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and China, where they may endure torture, persecution, or execution.
Freedom House, an American organization that promotes democracy, suggests that the practice of targeting or expelling exiled dissidents is becoming prevalent as more governments worldwide utilize it to suppress dissent.
Nuth Sovana, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s prison system, declared that Nuon Toeun was confined at Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh upon her arrival in Cambodia on Tuesday. She was charged with encouraging unlawful activities or instigating societal unrest and encouraging discrimination based on racial, religious, or national origins, according to him. He failed to provide specifics about the alleged transgressions she was accused of committing.
If convicted on both counts, she could serve up to five years in prison and be fined.
Malaysian law enforcement and immigration officials could not be reached for comment on her deportation immediately.
Nuon Toeun is neither a prominent opposition leader nor a widely recognized activist. However, Cambodia's government has recently expressed alarm about foreign critics rallying support among Cambodian expatriates.
Nuon Toeun's arrest occurred shortly after a Cambodian investigative journalist, Mech Dara, renowned for exposing online frauds and corruption, was charged with incitement for content he posted on social media.
Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded news agency that extensively covers Cambodia, stated that Nuon Toeun frequently used social media to criticize Cambodia's leadership, including Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father Hun Sen, the former prime minister who now serves as the Senate president, over their management of social issues.
Cambodia's government, governed by the Cambodia People's Party, has been repeatedly accused of suppressing critics and political adversaries.
Radio Free Asia reported that Nuon Toeun supported the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party, which was disbanded ahead of the 2018 general election as part of a crackdown on the opposition. The Cambodian People's Party subsequently won every seat in the National Assembly.
A few days before her arrest, Nuon Toeun posted a video on Facebook in which she said she was "venting on behalf of the people living inside Cambodia," according to Radio Free Asia.
“If I have sinned because I (have cursed) this despicable guy, I am pleased to accept the sin because he has mistreated my people so badly,” she said, referring to Hun Sen, according to Radio Free Asia.
The Khmer Movement for Democracy, a movement formed by opposition leaders in exile, denounced Nuon Toeun's deportation from Malaysia. It stated in a statement that she was working legally in Malaysia and had not committed any offense except for expressing her opinions.
It added that her deportation without due process was a "flagrant violation of international law and a grave assault on human rights."
The Khmer Movement for Democracy, based in exile, criticized the world for allowing such human rights violations, stating that Nuon Toeun's deportation from Malaysia is a "flagrant violation of international law and a grave assault on human rights" in the context of Asia.
Asia, being a diverse region with numerous democracies, has seen an increase in suppressing dissenting voices, with governments expelling critics living abroad, as suggested by Freedom House.
