Source: Camboja
A coalition of Cambodian opposition parties and civil society groups on Wednesday denied an Indian media report alleging they were involved in a $2 million funding proposal from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), after the government cited the claims in a warning against foreign-backed political activity.
The Interior Ministry on Tuesday warned that political parties accepting contributions from foreign entities could face legal action, citing a report published days earlier by Indian newspaper The Sunday Guardian.
The report, authored by journalist Abhinandan Mishra, cited what it described as a “confidential proposal” outlining a $2 million funding plan from the Washington-based NED to the Alliance Towards the Future (ATF), an opposition coalition that includes the Khmer Will Party, Grassroots Democratic Party, Cambodia Reform Party, Kampuchea Niyum Party and Candlelight Party.
The article alleged that some of the funding was intended to support opposition activities ahead of Cambodia’s commune elections next year and national election in 2028, and would involve several civil society organizations, including labor rights group Central, election watchdog COMFREL and the Youth Resource Development Program (YRDP).
Neither the alleged proposal nor supporting evidence was published by the outlet.
The political parties and organizations named in the report denied any knowledge of the proposal or receipt of foreign funding.
Khmer Will Party Secretary-General Kong Monika said the party had no involvement in any such arrangement.
“We do not know about any financial arrangements as described by the media,” he said.
Monika said the party operates in accordance with Cambodian law and files annual financial reports with the Interior Ministry.
“So, we are not concerned about the Interior Ministry’s warning […],” he said.
He added that opposition parties, including the Khmer Will Party and Candlelight Party, maintain contact with foreign diplomatic missions in Cambodia, including those of the United States and European Union, to discuss democracy and human rights issues.
Candlelight Party Secretary-General Ly Sotherayuth dismissed the allegations as an attempt to discredit the opposition.
“This information is created to raise suspicion and slander our party,” he said.
Korn Savang, advocacy and monitoring coordinator at COMFREL, said the organization had not received funding related to upcoming elections and questioned the credibility of the report.
“I have not paid attention to The Sunday Guardian because there are no verified sources,” he said.
Grassroots Democratic Party President Sek Sokha also denied any involvement.
“Our party’s operations rely entirely on membership dues and lawful donations from Cambodian citizens inside and outside the country,” he said. “We do not seek, nor will we accept, foreign financial backing for our campaigns.”
Central Executive Director Moeun Tola likewise rejected the allegations, saying neither his organization nor its partners had received funding from NED related to the activities described in the report.
“I think this could affect the political atmosphere ahead of the election,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh referred questions to the State Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
NED, its affiliated International Republican Institute and The Sunday Guardian did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mishra declined to share the alleged document outlining the proposal or provide details that “could identify its source or reveal the manner in which it was obtained or independently authenticated.”
“Before publication, I also undertook my own verification of the document and sought corroboration from an independent source who is not based in Cambodia,” he said. “Based on those steps, I was satisfied that the document met our editorial threshold for publication.”
He said he sought comment from NED before publication but received no response. He said he did not contact the opposition parties or civil society organizations named in the proposal because the report focused on the alleged proposal’s contents rather than on whether the organizations had taken any action.
The report is the latest of several by Mishra examining Cambodia’s opposition movement. Several of those reports have alleged links between opposition groups and foreign-backed efforts to influence Cambodian politics, often citing anonymous sources or documents that were not made public and could not be independently verified. People and organizations named in those reports have often rejected the claims.
Mishra rejected suggestions that his Cambodia reporting relied on inadequately verified material, saying each report was assessed independently based on available documentary and source-based evidence and his outlet’s editorial standards.
The controversy comes amid a years-long crackdown on Cambodia’s opposition that has included the forced dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party in 2017, the disqualification of the Candlelight Party from the 2023 national election and arrests of opposition leaders and activists.
Rights groups and Western governments have repeatedly raised concerns about political freedoms and electoral competition in Cambodia, criticism the government rejects.
*This article was updated to include comments from Abhinandan Mishra, Editor of Strategic Affairs at The Sunday Guardian.