Popular demonstrations in Phnom Penh took place against the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, triggered by widespread allegations of electoral fraud during the 2013 general election.

Inequality in the distribution of wealth is a recognized problem, as is the statistic that a third of children are malnourished, and the difficulty that government critics are rounded up and detained on dubious charges.

[12] Cambodia's strongman Hun Sen has affirmed his 'pre-eminence' by closing Freedom Park, an opposition protest site in central Phnom Penh that is now strictly off limits to the public and appears to be like a 'fortified military base'.

Cambodians are 'riled by incessant land grabs, official corruption and labor disputes in a country tightly controlled by one man for nearly three decades.'

Protests have now "fizzled out after a crackdown on factory strikes in January that killed at least four people and alarmed major clothing brands with interests in Cambodia, like Adidas, Nike and Gap.

[16] On 28 July 2013 general elections were held in Cambodia, with the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) claiming victory with 68 seats.

[23] Attempt by Vietnam to assimilate Khmers into the country often met with strong hostility, but Vietnamese influence continued to remain in Cambodia, even during the French colonization.

[26] On Friday 3 January, military police fired at protesting garment workers on Veng Sreng Street, Por Senchey District, in the outskirts on Phnom Penh, killing at least 4 people and injuring more than 20.

[8] Just days before the crackdown took place, Prime Minister Hun Sen made a state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha said Hun Sen might use the trip to seek Vietnam's support to hold on to power, adding that the premier should discuss the country's problems with Cambodians instead of foreign leaders.

[11][31] Opposition leaders were summoned to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning for having allegedly incited striking workers to 'disrupt social order'.

[37] On 15 July 2014, approximately 200 opposition protesters marched at Phnom Penh's Freedom Park when another violence erupted, only with the tables turned.

[38] On 19 July, opposition leader Sam Rainsy returned to Cambodia from his month-long trip to Europe due to the political crisis.

He met with prime minister Hun Sen on 22 July,[39] where the CNRP agreed to enter parliament, ending the longest political crisis in Cambodian history.

[1] The Cambodia National Rescue Party agreed to enter parliament after meeting with government officials at the Senate Palace on 22 July 2014.

[49] The European Union, Australia, Germany, Poland, Japan, and Thailand have all expressed concerns and worries about human rights in Cambodia.