Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen has strongly condemned the actions of an opposition activist who appeared in a video depicting the withdrawal of Cambodian troops from a disputed border zone, calling it a betrayal of the nation. He accused the activist of conspiring with Thailand to undermine Cambodia’s territorial sovereignty and called on Thai authorities to extradite the individual for prosecution.
In a statement posted to his official Facebook page on Wednesday, Mr. Hun Sen urged the Thai government to arrest and hand over the activist if it was not complicit in the individual’s efforts to, in his words, discredit the Cambodian government. The former Prime Minister said the actions amounted to treason and likened them to previous offenses by opposition leaders.
He went on to assert that at a time when the country is facing territorial encroachment, such activities only serve to support foreign agendas aimed at weakening Cambodia.
The controversy stems from a widely shared video in which a young man, identifying himself with the code name 09 Mom Bei, wears a Cambodian military uniform and appears to carry out orders to withdraw troops from the Mom Bei area near the Thai border. In the video, he references tanks and vehicles being returned to base, claiming they are outdated and no longer operational.
Following the video’s circulation, Cambodia’s National Police issued a statement on June 10 identifying the man as Em Piseth, a member of the opposition and head of the Universal Cambodian Youth Network in Thailand. Authorities accused him of impersonating a soldier and spreading false information about military movements in order to create confusion and damage troop morale.
Police further stated that Mr. Em Piseth, originally from Kampong Cham province, currently resides in Thailand. He is accused of frequently posting fabricated and negative content on social media targeting the Cambodian government.
In a separate statement, Defence Minister Tea Seiha said the video was an act of incitement against the nation. Writing on Facebook, he refuted claims of any troop withdrawal from the disputed area, describing the video’s content as false.
The incident comes amid growing media reports in Thailand suggesting a mutual agreement between Thai and Cambodian forces to withdraw approximately 200 metres from their positions in the Mom Bei border zone. Some online posts have shared images that appear to show the dismantling of Cambodian military outposts.
Adding to the political intrigue, Thai opposition figure Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit recently claimed in a video that former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had spoken with Mr. Hun Sen by phone, requesting Cambodia withdraw troops from the area. Mr. Thanathorn alleged that Thaksin was motivated by fears the Thai military might stage a coup against his daughter, current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
As of now, neither Mr. Hun Sen nor Mr. Thaksin has issued any public response to these claims.
