PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has commended the wife of former opposition activist, Yim Sinorn, for directly pleading for her husband’s mercy instead of asking foreign organizations to help her husband get out of prison.

Yim Sinorn’s wife, Sophat Makara, posted a message on her Facebook page after her husband returned home writing, "Dear Samdech Puk (Prime Minister Hun Sen), my husband has returned home and now he has met his children. I would like to bow down and thank Samdech Puk for showing compassion and sympathy for this sad family. My family and I would like to thank Samdech Puk and wish you good health to continue providing a cool shade for Cambodia.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen replied to Sophat Makara’s Facebook post saying that Yim Sinorn is very lucky to have a good wife who did not cry for help and seek foreign assistance, and rather directly sought the Prime Minister’s forgiveness.

 “I am a stubborn person under foreign pressure,” wrote the Prime Minister. “The more [foreign pressure], the longer the convict is imprisoned. This has to be remembered."

Still commenting under the same Facebook post, the Prime Minister added more context and shared that the first thing Yim Sinorn’s wife did was to ask for his intervention and understanding. When he saw her social media posts asking for forgiveness, and saw Yim Sinorn had himself admitted to his mistake, the Minister of Justice mediated with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to allow the former opposition activist to be released from prison and reunited with his wife and kids.

"Consider this a relief from the nightmare in the old year, for happiness to be possible in the New Year in the near future,” said the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, Sophat Makara also replied to the Prime Minister’s comment, writing, "Dear Samdech Puk, I am very excited to see that you have sent me a message, I feel very lucky that you are worrying about me. Only you could help my husband return back home, so I would like to deeply thank Samdech Puk for doing this."

Last week, on 22 March 2023, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued arrest warrants for two indiviuals, Yim Sinorn and Hun Kosal, on charges of "insulting the King and inciting serious social unrest” under Article 437 (duplicate) of the Law on the Amendment of the Criminal Code, and Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Yim Sinorn was, however, released on Tuesday night, 28 March, just hours after he released a video apologizing to the King and Prime Minister Hun Sen.