(Phnom Penh) : Social media has reported on the arrival of the CNRP’s acting president, Sam Rainsy, in Malaysia, Southeast Asia. Sam Rainsy was convicted on several occasions, which made it difficult for the politician to return to Cambodia. Therefore, the National Police Commissioner requested the international community to assist in detaining Mr. Sam Rainsy. However, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said it was difficult to get Sam Rainsy because the politician had a foreign passport.

Among those on Facebook, Mr. Sam Rainsy’s own post also posted a picture taken with the leaders of the former CNRP and wrote: Today, August 16 I was in Malaysia and met with young Cambodians from Cambodia. Among them are Mrs. Mu Sok Hua and Mr. Eng Chhay Eang, former CNRP vice-presidents. The photo posted on Facebook also shows the enthusiasm of the young people who met Mr. Sam Rainsy.

Both Mr. Sam Rainsy, Mr. Eng Chhay Eang and Mrs. Mu Sok Hua, despite their arrest warrants, have vowed to return to Cambodia at length during September 2019 and that their presence is to prevent the European Union from withdrawing the EBA from Cambodia. Yet in this situation, Mr. Sam Rainsy, one of the most prominent causes of arrest by Cambodian authorities, is his presence in neighboring Cambodian territory, as if he were moving into Cambodia now.

It is unknown at this time whether the Malaysian government was responding to the call of the National Police and the Interior Ministry, which asked the international community to assist in detaining Mr. Sam Rainsy.

Regarding the presence of Mr. Sam Rainsy in Malaysia, where the authorities arrested former police chief Heng Pov to Cambodian authorities more than a decade ago, Both the Interior Ministry spokesman and the government spokesman said in an interview with WMC today that the arrests were made only if the politician arrived in Cambodia immediately. But when the reporter asked if Cambodia and the Ministry of Interior were to ask Malaysia to help detain Mr. Sam Rainsy, Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak explained that Sam Rainsy holds a European passport which it’s hard for Malaysia.

At the same time, government spokesman Phay Siphan said he did not want to mention Mr. Rainsy’s name yet he had been a prisoner.

Some observers believe that if Mr. Sam Rainsy’s presence in the country is a true return of the opposition leader to Cambodia, But at that particular time, it’s something else they can’t predict.

The Prime Minister had warned that if he returned to the border, he would be prepared to pick up his machine gun and handcuffs. He said that anyone, without the court’s fault, was not arrested.

However, at least ten European Parliament members have pledged to accompany Mr. Sam Rainsy back to Cambodia, as well as thousands of Cambodian volunteers in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand, they also pledged to protect Sam Rainsy to return to Cambodia as well.

Some analysts believe that Mr. Sam Rainsy’s presence in Cambodia could be a political solution.

Written by Serey Vaddhanak