U.S. to deny visas to Cambodian officials over opposition crackdown

By Eric Walsh and Prak Chan Thul WASHINGTON/PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it would restrict entry to people involved in the Cambodian government's actions to undermine democracy, including the dissolution of the main opposition party and imprisonment of its leader. The visa sanctions were the toughest steps by any Western country since a crackdown on critics of Prime Minister Hun Sen ahead of an election next year in which the authoritarian leader seeks to extend more than three decades in power. "We call on the Cambodian government to reverse course by reinstating the political opposition, releasing Kem Sokha, and allowing civil society and media to resume their constitutionally protected activities," the State Department said in a statement.