An opposition leader in Cambodia has claimed his innocence at the start of his trial.
Kem Sokha is accused of collaborating with the United States to overthrow the government.
The leader of the now-dissolved main opposition party is charged with treason, and could be jailed for up to 30 years if found guilty.
Some human rights groups are condemning his trial as a “sham”.
Al Jazeera’s Florence Looi reports from the capital, Phnom Penh.
– Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
– Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
– Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
– Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
#AlJazeeraEnglish #Cambodia
In This Story: Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is 181,035 square kilometres (69,898 square miles) in area, bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.
The sovereign state of Cambodia has a population of over 15 million. Buddhism is enshrined in the constitution as the official state religion, and is practised by more than 97% of the population. Cambodia’s minority groups include Vietnamese, Chinese, Chams and 30 hill tribes.
The capital and largest city is Phnom Penh. The kingdom is an elective constitutional monarchy with a monarch chosen by the Royal Council of the Throne as head of state. The head of government is the Prime Minister.
Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953. The United Nations designates Cambodia as a least developed country.