The Last Word: Sam Rainsy

We are calling for a visa ban that would apply to a handful of members of the ruling elite and their families. The United States is their favorite destination; they send their students to American schools and universities, and they go there to spend their ill-gotten money on things like property. I think it would be most effective, and it wouldn't hurt the Cambodian people.

Has the international community been too cautious with Hun Sen in the past?

So far, yes. Robert F. Kennedy once said, "We should not be complacent with the peace of a cemetery and the security of the enslaved." If Cambodia is stable, it is the stability of oppression. The message is: please don't advocate stability for its own sake; look at what lies behind it, or Cambodia could end up as stable as North Korea.

Has foreign investment in rebuilding the Cambodian justice system improved it?

The justice system in Cambodia is corrupt beyond repair. We must promote democracy and defend human rights so that the Cambodian people are able to choose the regime, the system and the leaders they want. Don't allow repression and electoral manipulation. Just allow the Cambodian people to express their will and help that will to be implemented.

Do you think Cambodian authorities are ready to risk the wrath of the international community to get rid of the opposition?