“A fully functional parliament which represents the people’s will is a key pillar of democracy. Of course, this also requires an environment which allows lawmakers to fulfill their roles independently without fear of physical or legal retaliation, which has not been the case for the opposition in recent times,” commented Chak Sopheap, executive Director of Cambodian Center for Human Rights. “The recent thawing of political relations, in this sense, is a very positive step which we warmly welcome.”