PHNOM PENH: The Spokesperson of the Phnom Penh Municipal Police, San Sok Seiha, confirmed to EAC News that authorities have arrested two former opposition activists, Yim Sinorn and Hun Kosal, bringing them in for questioning.
Interior Ministry Spokesperson, Khieu Sopheak, also confirmed to EAC News that the two former opposition activists were arrested for insulting the King of Cambodia. He added that the King had previously pardoned these two individuals.
Prime Minister Hun Sen posted a short message addressing the arrest on his Telegram Channel, writing, "Why do they like to cause trouble?"
On Tuesday, 21 March 2023, Yim Sinorn made a post through his Facebook account, writing, "According to the chatter you can overhear at a café, we can clearly see who is the real King."
A few minutes after, Sinorn deleted the post and uploaded another message.
"I just posted about the talk I overheard [at a café], but many people made comparisons to other topics, so to avoid misunderstandings, I will delete my earlier post,” he wrote.
The Prime Minister then commented on his post, “No need to delete, nephew."
He also replied to another user's comment asking if Sinorn would face repercussions for making this post about the King, responding that it would be strange if this went unpunished because the post was not just an expression of an opinion, but a deliberate distortion of the truth. He, however, added that it is ultimately up to the court to judge this case.
"Such a rude kid must not be forgiven, especially as he has already been pardoned before,” the Prime Minister wrote.
Meanwhile, Hun Kosal posted a picture of the King with the caption, "They hurt and humiliate the King in all ways. As the next generation of politicians, I am determined to use all my ability to join forces with President Kem Sokha to protect the King's prestige and the throne that the people of Cambodia cannot be without."
The two former opposition activists made these posts in reference to an incident that occurred at the SEA Games torch lighting ceremony at Angkor Wat, which was presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni on Tuesday morning. In the livestreamed video of the event, the King’s umbrella holder can be seen trying not to block the Prime Minister’s path while he was speaking with the King, which inadvertently made it look like the umbrella holder was shading the Prime Minister instead. Later in the video, the Prime Minister can even be seen pulling the umbrella holder closer to help shade the King from the sun.
Former Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) member, Yim Sinorn, was previously charged with conspiracy to commit treason and inciting social unrest. The charge was officially dropped after he wrote a letter to the Prime Minister requesting his intervention, saying that he wished “to live innocently like a normal citizen.”
As Sinorn now finds himself back facing the court, it is unclear whether he will dare to write a letter requesting to be pardoned by the King once again.
