Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday that Myanmar’s military government had released an Australian economist detained for the past year, but Myanmar authorities denied his claim. Hun Sen later acknowledged his error.
In a morning speech marking the inauguration of a road, Hun Sen said Sean Turnell was released from detention on Sunday in response to a request by the Cambodian prime minister to Myanmar’s leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Cambodia is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Hun Sen is leading the group’s efforts to ease Myanmar’s violent political crisis.
After a day of confusion, Hun Sen asked on his Facebook page to be forgiven for making a mistake, saying he had been given the wrong information.
