A Cambodian court has ordered two homes owned by a former Adelaide school teacher to be seized and used as a security for $A1.2 million in fines, following his defamation conviction for criticising local elections in June.
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Son Chhay, a dual Australian and Cambodian citizen who was awarded an Order of Australia in 2010, said he was not represented in court and had first heard of the seizure on Monday morning via a Facebook post, prompting calls from pro-government media.
"There are only two properties I have, as one is a house I am living in now and the other is a unit in Siem Reap," he said referring to the northwest provincial city.
"There is a friend who has offered me a place to live, if they implement such an order. But I do wonder why don't they wait until the next verdict, as the appeal court has asked me to attend this hearing on December 14," he told AAP.
Access to Cambodian courts is limited but the pro-government Khmer Times reported the Phnom Penh Municipal Court had seized two plots of land belonging to Son Chhay, vice-president of the opposition Candlelight Party.
It reported Judge Uong Vuthea had said the confiscation was temporary, and ordered after Son Chhay claimed he could not afford to pay the fines. The seizure was made "to ensure payment of compensation as ordered" and would be cancelled once his fines were paid.
The 66-year-old was convicted of defamation after he criticised the June local polls and complaints were lodged by the National Election Commission (NEC) and the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) led by Prime Minister Hun Sen.
His Candlelight Party was forged out of the remnants of the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP). It was outlawed in late 2017 enabling the CPP to win all 125 seats in the National Assembly at national elections a year later.
Since then hundreds of CNRP supporters have been convicted and jailed, some in absentia, for incitement including the retired member for the Victorian parliament Hong Lim, who was acquitted in October last year.
Son Chhay, who is currently in Phnom Penh, said he misses Australia and was planning to return for a two-week Christmas break after his appeal against the defamation conviction is heard on December 14.
"Australia, it is my home there. I was educated in Australia and I believe Cambodia should adopt the rule of law like Australia and should be open to all like Australia," he said.
"But I am a politician in Cambodia and I can't abandon the people here who also believe in democracy."
Australian Associated Press
