Cambodia’s political system was dominated by the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and leader Hun Sen for more than three decades. In 2023, Hun Sen stepped down and facilitated an undemocratic transfer of power to his son, Hun Manet, though Hun Sen effectively retains most political power in the country. While Cambodia held semicompetitive elections in the past, polls are now held in a severely repressive environment. The CPP-led government has maintained pressure on the opposition, independent media, and civil society through intimidation, politically motivated prosecutions, and violence.

• In February, the CPP won 55 of 58 Senate seats up for contest, via indirect elections by CPP loyalists in the parliament and local councils. The opposition Candlelight Party was prohibited from competing. Hun Sen was named head of the Senate, granting him even more power.
• Hun Manet fired a number of government officials early in the year, citing corruption, but the campaign never reached the heart of CPP patronage networks. In February Hun Manet named his younger brother Hun Many one of his 11 deputy prime ministers. The Diplomat reported in August that under Hun Manet, the number of secretaries and undersecretaries of state had increased by 122 percent, to “1,422 posts spread over around 30 ministries.”
• Cambodia was a hub for trafficking operations in which workers, including large numbers of foreigners, are held captive in dire conditions and forced to carry out cyberscams and other types of online crime. Authorities deny that such scam operations, which rights groups have reported to involve at least 100,000 exploited workers, exist and have obstructed and punished efforts to report on them.
• In October, authorities arrested prominent journalist Mech Dara, known for exposing the proliferating cyberscam industry and its links to powerful Cambodians, and charged him with “incitement to provoke social chaos.” Amid international pressure, the government released Mech Dara several weeks later.
• In April police arrested prominent student leader Koet Saray, who had spoken out in defense of villagers in a land dispute with authorities; he was convicted on incitement and other charges and sentenced to four years in prison in November. In July, a Cambodian court gave a group of environmental activists from the group Mother Nature long prison terms for insulting the king and plotting to overthrow the government.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.