A woman was briefly detained in Phnom Penh on Monday after running toward King Norodom Sihamoni during a public appearance to ask him to protect Cambodia from foreign invaders, police said.
As King Sihamoni greeted people assembled near Independence Monument to celebrate the 62nd anniversary of Cambodia’s independence from France, Khlork Yousara, 29, ran out from the crowd in an attempt to speak to the king, but was quickly apprehended.
Khlork Yousara is restrained after running toward King Norodom Sihamoni during an Independence Day event in Phnom Penh on Monday.
“Our authorities took her away because it was not normal that she was running to meet the king,” said deputy municipal police chief Soem Vuthy, adding that the woman’s brother later said she had shown signs of mental illness for about seven years.
“She was educated and then the authorities called her family and they took her home,” said Yin San, chief of the Chamkar Mon district police.
As she was being led away, Ms. Yousara explained her intentions to a reporter.
“I wanted to meet King Norodom Sihamoni to tell him everything that I know, and remind him to protect the land,” she said.
“The Yuon took the land of the Cham and they want to take Cambodia’s land, too,” she added, using a term for Vietnamese that can be derogatory. (Khy Sovuthy)
