PHNOM PENH -- As Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen tightens the screws on democracy to secure a resounding win at next year's election, the country's business community has struck a grimly defiant tone amid political convulsions and controversy. Some analysts, however, warn that Hun Sen's bullying tactics to destroy the opposition and snuff out dissent could be creating a false sense of stability amid simmering tensions.
In recent months, the Cambodian strongman has taken direct aim at obstacles that could cause him problems at the polls and lead to a rerun of the last election, in 2013. That year, the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party came close to ousting Hun Sen's ruling party, gaining 44.46% of the popular vote, a result mirrored in local elections earlier this year.
