Kem Sokha

Kem Sokha
កឹម សុខា
Leader of the Opposition
In office
16 November 2015 – 31 January 2017
Prime MinisterHun Sen
Preceded bySam Rainsy
Succeeded byPosition abolished
First Vice President of the National Assembly
In office
26 August 2014 – 30 October 2015
PresidentHeng Samrin
Preceded byNguon Nhel
Succeeded byYou Hockry
Additional positions
President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party
In office
2 March 2017 – 16 November 2017
DeputyPol Hom
Mu Sochua
Eng Chhai Eang
Preceded bySam Rainsy
Succeeded byNone, party dissolved
Vice President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party
In office
1 April 2013 – 2 March 2017
PresidentSam Rainsy
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPol Hom
Mu Sochua
Eng Chhai Eang
President of the Human Rights Party
In office
22 July 2007 – 1 April 2013
DeputySon Soubert
Pen Sovan
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded bySon Soubert
President of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights
In office
3 October 2002 – 1 May 2007
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byOu Virak
Member of the National Assembly
In office
24 September 2008 – 3 September 2017
Succeeded byYou Hockry
ConstituencyKampong Cham
In office
14 June 1993 – 26 July 1998
ConstituencyTakéo
Member of the Senate
In office
1999–2002
Personal details
Born (1953-06-27) 27 June 1953 (age 71)
Tram Kak, Takéo, Cambodia, French Indochina
Political partyCambodia National Rescue Party (2012–2017)
Human Rights Party (2007–2012)
Independent (2002–2007)
FUNCINPEC (1999–2002)
Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party (1993–1999)
Khmer People's National Liberation Front (1992–1993)[1]
Spouse
Te Chanmono
(m. 1980)
Children2, including Monovithya
EducationUniversity of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (M.Sc.)
Royal University of Law and Economics
ProfessionActivist
Politician
Signature

Kem Sokha (Khmer: កឹម សុខា; born 27 June 1953) is a Cambodian former politician and activist who most recently served as the President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). He served as the Minority Leader, the highest-ranking opposition parliamentarian, of the National Assembly from December 2016 to January 2017, and previously as the First Vice President of the National Assembly from August 2014 to October 2015.[2][3][4] He represented Kampong Cham as its Member of Parliament (MP) from 2008 to 2017. From 2007 to 2012, Kem was the leader of the Human Rights Party, which he founded.

Kem was arrested and imprisoned at a detention centre in Tbong Khmum Province on 3 September 2017 under allegations of treason. In November 2017, the CNRP was dissolved, and 118 of its members, including Kem, were banned from politics for five years. On 10 September 2018, more than a year after his arrest, he was released on bail, and subsequently placed under house arrest. On 10 November 2019, Kem was released from house arrest.

In March 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to 27 years of house arrest.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference voa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "លោក កឹម សុខា ត្រូវបានបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសរើសជាអនុប្រធានទី១សភា" [Kem Sokha elected as first vice president of National Assembly]. Radio Free Asia (in Khmer). 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Sokha stripped of National Assembly vice presidency". The Phnom Penh Post. 30 October 2015. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference abolish was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Cambodia opposition leader Kem Sokha sentenced to 27 years". Al Jazeera. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.