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Malaysia has deported Cambodian domestic worker Nuon Toeun after she posted comments on social media criticizing Cambodia’s leadership. Her deportation, at the request of the Cambodian government, highlights a notorious trend of Southeast Asian countries helping each other to suppress dissidents abroad.
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About the worker and her deportation: Nuon Toeun, 36, had worked legally in Malaysia for several years before she was arrested at her employer’s home in Selangor on September 28. Radio-free Asia reported. At the request of the Cambodian authorities, she was deported to Phnom Penh and imprisoned. The worker’s arrest came just days after she reportedly criticized former Prime Minister Hun Sen, calling him a “despicable man” for his treatment of the Cambodian people. In addition, Nuon Toeun reportedly supported the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party, which was dissolved in 2017. If convicted of charges including sedition, she could be fined and jailed for up to five years.
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Big picture and comments: The deportation of Nuon Toeun is part of a wider pattern of Southeast Asian governments working together to silence dissidents. For example, in 2021, Thailand will deported three Cambodian political activists return to their homeland amid condemnation from the United Nations. Human rights groups have also criticized Malaysia’s recent actions, accusing the country of complicity in “transnational repression.” Speak with Free Malaysia todayPhil Robertson of the Bangkok-based Asia Human Rights Labor Advocates said Malaysia’s response should have been to “thank the Cambodian government, tell it that the worker is in Malaysia legally and they can do whatever they want if she returns to Cambodia. But we will not punish anyone for expressing his or her opinion on Facebook.”
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