A European Union monitoring mission was in Cambodia this week to assess the country's compliance with the human rights obligations that lie at the core of the EU-Cambodia preferential trade deal.
The timing could not be more appropriate.
With national elections approaching on July 29, Cambodia is hurtling towards a one-party state under prime minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).
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Already a member? Login hereMatthew is EUobserver's Opinion Editor. He joined EUobserver in June 2018. Previously he worked as a reporter for The Guardian in London, and as editor for AFP in Paris and DPA in Berlin.
Matthew is EUobserver's Opinion Editor. He joined EUobserver in June 2018. Previously he worked as a reporter for The Guardian in London, and as editor for AFP in Paris and DPA in Berlin.