Sam Rainsy, the self-exiled leader of Cambodia's banned opposition party, arrived Thursday in Jakarta with plans to meet local leaders.

Sam Rainsy, who is wanted by Cambodian authorities for allegedly plotting a coup, reiterated his hope of returning to his native country "very soon" to lead a peaceful uprising against longtime leader Hun Sen.

He originally planned to enter Cambodia by land from neighboring Thailand last weekend, but Thai authorities prevented him from flying to the country from Paris, where he is based.

The 70-year-old co-founder and acting president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party flew instead to Malaysia, where he spent the last few days rallying support for his cause.

After arriving on a morning flight from Kuala Lumpur, he told reporters that he would be in the Indonesian capital for a few days to meet with local lawmakers and representatives of civil society organizations.

Commenting on his being stopped from boarding a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta the previous day, he merely replied that he "missed the plane."


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Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said a person who does not violate the terms of their stay with political activities "cannot be barred from entering Indonesia for holiday."

In a press statement issued later in the day, the Cambodian Embassy in Jakarta accused Sam Rainsy of entering the country "to involve himself in politics and criticize our government."

The embassy urged the Indonesian authorities "to take action against Sam Rainsy" for violating the terms of his visa by involvement in political activities.

Sam Rainsy stressed he will keep trying to return to Cambodia "by any way."

"Very soon, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow, anytime, because the situation in Cambodia can change very quickly," he said.

He also claimed that the majority of Cambodian people stand behind his effort to oust Prime Minister Hun Sen. "That's why the authority is so afraid of me," he said.

"They don't want me...and they have prevented airline companies from carrying me to Cambodia," Sam Rainsy said. "Why is he (Hun Sen) afraid of me?"

Cambodia shares a border with three countries -- Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, which are all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The bloc has a principle of non-interference requiring that members refrain from criticizing other member governments' actions toward their own citizens. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said last week he had ordered that Sam Rainsy not be allowed to enter Thailand.

"All ASEAN countries are moving towards democracy. Some are moving very fast, like Indonesia and Malaysia, some are moving rather slowly. But eventually, we will achieve democracy," he said, calling on fellow Cambodians to "keep up hope" and "keep up the fight."

Sam Rainsy has been in self-exile abroad since 2015 and faces more than 10 cases of lawsuits filed against him by members of Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party.

Cambodian authorities have vowed to arrest him and other CNRP members if they return to the country.

A Cambodian court subsequently charged Sam Rainsy and eight other party figures with plotting a coup.

Prior to its court-ordered dissolution in November 2017, the CNRP was the sole opposition party in the National Assembly, with 55 seats compared with 68 held by the ruling Cambodian People's Party.

Its removal ahead of the July 2018 election enabled Hun Sen's party to win all 125 seats and him to extend his 33-year rule for another five years.

The opposition party's lawmakers were also banned from politics for five years.