Two late-night text messages in an hour, one from sources in the military, the other from the cops, warned Cambodian opposition politician Mu Sochua her arrest was at hand. The next day she bolted from the country, joining half of the kingdom's opposition lawmakers in self-exile.

Nearly half of Cambodia's opposition parliamentarians have fled abroad in the past month to escape a government crackdown that has battered their party with legal cases, an MP said on Wednesday.The exodus further imperils the prospects of a party that poses the only viable challenge to premier Hun Sen in next year's national poll.The strongman has smothered dissent in the lead-up to the election and is accused of picking off his critics through a series of dubious court cases.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s crackdown on his critics have taken a turn for the worse as opposition parliamentarians have fled the country for fear of being incarcerated like their opposition leader, Kem Sokha.Hun Sen’s actions came amidst fears that his 32-year rule in the country might end due to increased support for the opposition.

Cambodia’s leader of the opposition, Kem Sokha was not granted bail, three weeks after police descended to his home and carted him away to a prison at the Cambodia-Vietnam border."The court decided to uphold the provisional detention warrant (of Kem Sokha)," Touch Tharith, a spokesman for the Court of Appeals, was quoted by the AFP (Agence France-Presse).However, the opposition politician and leader of the CNRP (Cambodia National Rescue Party) was not present at the court hearing am

Despite silencing the opposition by arresting opposition icon, Kem Sokha, controversially shutting down an English daily and facing immense criticism for his actions, Hun Sen – Cambodia’s Prime Minister – still sleeps well at night knowing that he has got the resolute backing of a regional superpower.China has continually supported Hun Sen’s actions to protect its national security from Western powers as well as vowing to cooperate and assist the frontier nation in all circumstances.In respon

Southeast Asia is known for its vast rainforests which constitute about almost 20 percent of forest cover with the richest biodiversity in the world. What the region is also known for is its alarming rate of deforestation. The region has the highest rate of deforestation of any major tropical region followed by Latin America and Africa.

Southeast Asia is a growing market for business. However, there is still plenty of untapped potential, in terms of both consumer demand and labour markets. With all eyes on the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states, business investors are presented with opportunities to generate lucrative returns on their investments within the region.

"Montesquieu once said 'There is no crueller tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice'," Thaksin Shinawatra tweeted on August 29, 2017. Thaksin broke his two-year silence on Twitter by issuing the tweet in both English and Thai which quoted the 18th century French philosopher Charles de Montesquieu. The tweet went viral on Thai social media and has been retweeted 11,700 times to-date.

Democracy is under threat in Cambodia. In the run-up to the general elections next year, longstanding Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen recently closed down several media outlets operating within the country.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asia Nations) recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in August and has come a long way since its commencement through the 1967 Bangkok Declaration. The organisation promotes economic cooperation, political stability, good governance and civil liberties – which were the founding principles on which the association has been built upon.