Deputy opposition leader Kem Sokha over the weekend praised the government’s development of Cambodia’s sports sector, saying that sports was one of the few areas where the opposition party has no serious complaints about how the country is being governed.

Sokha was on December 2 pardoned of a five-month conviction that had left him holed up at CNRP headquarters for fear of arrest, and has in the week since struck a more conciliatory tone toward the CPP – even appearing in person with Prime Minister Hun Sen. He continued with the seemingly placative language in a speech at the CNRP headquarters to mark International Human Rights Day on Saturday.

“It’s not true to say the government has done nothing. Now sports are very to up-to-date,” he said.

“Cambodians have won many world medals, and that is the honour of our nation. But the human rights [situation] discredits our country,” he added. “If we respected human rights, and sports continue improving, the government would be on the right track.”