Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Cambodia’s political opposition leader, Thach Setha, has been convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison for issuing worthless checks four years ago. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court found that Setha had issued several bounced checks in 2019. His lawyer, Sam Sokong, called the verdict unacceptable and said he would meet Setha soon to discuss filing an appeal. This is the first major legal ruling against government opponents since Hun Manet became the country’s new prime minister in August. Setha was an army commander and succeeded his father Hun Sen, who stepped down after 38 years in power.