Sam gets 10

Sam Rainsy, Cambodia's primary opposition leader, received a sentence of 10 years imprisonment for "altering public documents and disinformation." Rainsy had protested against Hun Sen's decision to demarcate its border with Vietnam. He alleged that Phnom Penh had ceded territory to its northern neighbor, and even encouraged a village to uproot border markings. While this is obviously a sensitive issue for the regime, 10 years does seem like quite a long time for what is basically sedition. Of course, the Hun Sen regime claims the courts are independent and merely applying the law. But it also appears that, with China's investment and aid, Hun Sen no longer feels compelled to moderate his authoritarian instincts.