Defence Minister Tea Banh, on Saturday, said that he was not scared at all of a possible visa sanction imposed by the US Government to Cambodian high ranking government officials.
In his speech during the ceremony of the creation of the new Intervention Brigade 128 in Steung Treng Province, Gen. Banh said that international sanction was obsolete, and the Kingdom of Cambodia had a lot of experiences by living with such sanction in the 80s.
In contrast, according to Gen. Banh, his armed forces were ready to crush any protest, anywhere, asking to free Mr. Kem Sokha. To this kind of protest, Gen. Banh said that his armed forces could act at will - they would not need to ask his permission.
"[...] only one thing we have to do is anywhere a protest takes place, we have to hit it hard, for the protest to free Mr. Sokha. They won't need to ask for permission from high command. The order was already sent out," said Gen. Banh.
Gen. Banh also said that a possible visa sanction would not affect him at all, because he did not need to go doing business abroad, nor having bank account in foreign country. He only wish was to spend his life in Cambodia where he could find security, peace, and political stability.
Gen. Banh added that as of today, more and more evidence was found regarding Mr. Sokha's case, following a video clip in which Mr. Rainsy called on the Cambodian Armed Forces to turn their gun against the current government led by Prime Minister Hun Sen.
US Senator Ted Cruz, on Monday, has called on the Cambodian government to release opposition leader Kem Sokha by November 9. If not, the senator would urge the US Government to impose a visa sanction to high ranking Cambodian government officials.
In a letter to Cambodian Ambassador to the United States and Mexico Chum Bun Rong, the senator said that the charge against Mr. Sokha for treason was politically motivated and a move to evade democratic accountability.
Senator Cruz also said that the government's move to amend the election laws and the attempt to dissolve the opposition party CNRP, was Prime Minister Hun Sen's efforts to «disable the institutions of democratic governance.»
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