PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC) posted a statement on Facebook today, listing the 22 members of Facebook parent company Meta’s Oversight Board as ‘persona non grata,’ and forbidding their entry into Cambodia.

The move follows the Oversight Board’s decision to ban Prime Minister Hun Sen from Facebook for six months, saying he used language that incited violence against opposition members during a speech in January. Before the board finalized its decision, the Prime Minister deleted his Facebook account and announced he would be using Telegram as his main form of public communication because it was more “effective.”

The MFAIC accused the board of making a politically motivated decision that intends to “obstruct the freedom of the press for the citizens of Cambodia and the right to receive credible news from a leader whom they support and admire.”

The 22 people listed were then barred from entering or remaining in Cambodia as of July 4, 2023 at 4pm. Although it does not appear that any of the members are in Cambodia, the statement gave them 48 hours to leave.