Cambodia's exiled Opposition leader sentenced to 10 years in jail

Rainsy’s party has accused the Cambodian government of ceding territory to its larger and more powerful neighbour, while the man himself has been trying to manoeuvre a way out of exile in France back to Cambodia.

Rainsy was sentenced to 10 years in jail in his absence while still exiled, but could have faced up to 18 years, for attempting to show that Cambodia is losing land to Vietnam.

Cambodia and Vietnam began isolating their border in September 2006, in an attempt to end decades of territorial disputes.

The 1,270 km border has remained essentially unmarked and vague since French colonial times, with stone markers and boundary flags having disappeared, while trees once lining it were cut down.

When a new border line was agreed by the two governments, some Cambodians lost their land, and Rainsy had taken up their case.

In January, he was given a two-year jail term for encouraging villagers to uproot border markings, in protest at Cambodia's government.

In his defence, Rainsy said he had simply downloaded the document from Google.
The Sam Rainsy Party has accused the government of using the judicial system to silence the opposition.