In rare move, Cambodia arrests two for insulting king

Robert Besser
26 Mar 2023, 15:23 GMT+10

Two Cambodian opposition figures--- Yim Sinorn and Hun Kosal--- have been charged under the country's rarely used law with insulting King Norodom Sihamoni
A judge at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court also charged the men with incitement to cause serious social unrest in the country
They could face jail terms of up to five years and fines of $2,500 if found guilty

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Two Cambodian opposition figures--- Yim Sinorn and Hun Kosal--- have been charged under the country's rarely used law with insulting King Norodom Sihamoni for posts made on Facebook.

A judge at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court also charged the men with incitement to cause serious social unrest in the country, a court document showed. The men, once members of the now-dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, could face jail terms of up to five years and fines of $2,500 if found guilty.

The court did not specify what the posts said.

Yim Sinorn later posted on Facebook that he had deleted what he wrote about the king, while Hun Kosal said he respected the king and would promote the royal family.

Hun Sen, in comments on his Facebook page, said, "This is an insulting act that cannot be tolerated or excused."

Defaming the Cambodian king was outlawed by parliament in 2018. Rights groups expressed concerns at the time that the law, which is similar to legislation in neighboring Thailand, could be used to silence government critics.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cambodian Times.

More Information

28 ℃

Mostly Cloudy in Phnom-Penh

International

Section

US to get tough as drone disrupts Pittsburgh airport

WASHINGTON D.C.: The Federal Aviation Administration has said that a drone sighting disrupted some flights at Pittsburgh International Airport this ...

New Oregon gun law being challenged in court case

PORTLAND, Oregon: A federal trial has begun in Portland, Oregon examining the constitutionality of a stringent gun control law approved ...

After removing Columbus statue, Philadelphia sued for return

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and members of the city's historical commission have been sued by a group which ...

Area evacuated as wildfire burns thru Michigan

LANSING, Michigan: Michigan's Department of Natural Resources said by a wildfire in the state has burned through more than 3 ...

Official: airlines industry acting to prevent cancellations

ISTANBUL, Turkey: In an interview with Reuters, Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, (IATA), said airlines are ...

Protesting Texans send migrants to California

SACRAMENTO, California: Sixteen migrants from Venezuela and Colombia, who had entered the United States through Texas, were transported to California ...

Sports

Section