Cambodian democracy in strife

WHY IS CAMBODIA'S DEMOCRACY IN TROUBLE?

* Prime Minister Hun Sen, a former commander in Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime which presided over a genocide, has ruled the southeast Asian nation for 32 years.

* Cambodia heads to the polls in July next year and the main opposition party was presenting a strong challenge and has faced a kneecapping from the government.

* The Supreme Court has dissolved the Cambodia National Rescue Party and banned its MPs from being engaged in politics for five years.

* Opposition Leader Kem Sokha was arrested for treason in September.

* In September, the government ordered the independent newspaper Cambodian Daily to close and slugged it with a huge tax bill.

* Political commentator Kem Ley who was a critic of the government was assassinated in Phnom Penh in July.

* Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy escaped to France in 2015 to avoid a defamation case.

* The Cambodia government has accused the US of supporting the opposition.