Amid a heated political atmosphere, members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party’s powerful central committee met yesterday at the party’s headquarters, though a spokesman claimed the gathering was “routine”.

A large group of the more than 500 committee members – which included dozens of top-level military commanders – met at the building on Norodom Boulevard just after 8am.

CPP spokesman Sok Eysan characterised the meeting as routine, saying members went over the party’s six-month performance.

He denied the party discussed the case of Cambodia National Rescue Party acting president Kem Sokha, who has been holed up at the party’s headquarters since an attempt by police to arrest him on May 26.

The CPP has been widely accused of driving a crackdown against its opponents – wielding the judiciary to bring a slew of legal cases against opposition members, human rights workers and critics.