WASHINGTON/PHNOM, PENH – Just days after the killing of a prominent Cambodian government critic last year during a crackdown by the country’s longtime leader, President Barack Obama dispatched Washington’s chief human rights envoy to Phnom Penh to attend the activist’s funeral.
In meetings with Cambodian authorities, then-Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski warned the military not to intervene in the political turmoil or else crucial U.S. ties would suffer, sending a clear message that America stood behind the opposition.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.