A former opposition operative who defected to the ruling party and was made a Council of Ministers secretary of state has been given the top job at the government’s Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC).

Keo Remy, a veteran of the opposition movement who joined Kem Sokha’s Human Rights Party in 2007 before defecting to the Cambodian People’s Party in 2008, will serve in the role concurrently with his job as a member of the national council against corruption.

The committee last week called for “strict legal action” to be taken against Adhoc human rights defenders who were arrested in the Anti-Corruption Unit’s investigation into the alleged Kem Sokha affair.

Remy said he would not be drawn into discussing details, but said rights workers were “not perfect” and must abide by the law, adding there was “no torture” during questioning. He said educating people about human rights under the law was key.

“It does not mean you can do whatever you want, you have to follow the law,” he said.