Legislative and Executive (19th Jan – 23rd Jan. 2026)
| An opposition official has been charged and detained over social media posts critical of the government concerning border disputes and online scam operations. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court ordered the detention of Vorn Varn, 45, a local official for the Nation Power Party (NPP) in Kampong Cham province. According to an arrest warrant issued by Deputy Prosecutor Seng Heang, Varn is charged with “incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest” under Articles 494 and 495. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison. https://bit.ly/4qDmkzH ; The Interior Ministry this month removed several senior law enforcement officials over alleged misconduct and cross-border trafficking. Observers called it a first step but said it falls short of the government’s stated crackdown on online scam networks. https://shorturl.at/4svu7 ; Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn has stated that Prince Holding Group Founder Chen Zhi, recently extradited to China from Cambodia, had ‘not legally obtained’ his Cambodian citizenship. |
