Cambodia hunts for suspect demanding overthrow of Prime Minister Hun Sen

Cambodian police say they have identified and are hunting a suspect who called for the overthrow of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Photo: Khmer Times.

According to Khmer Times, Cambodian police have identified and are searching for the man in the 4-minute video posted on Facebook and YouTube on July 15, criticizing and calling for the overthrow of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government.

In a video on the YouTube account "Siem Reap Angkor", a man calling himself "VP9" accused Mr. Hun Sen's government of "being behind the seizure of people's land, the killing of high-ranking officials and human rights violations". "VP9" called on military units and government agencies to join the plan to overthrow Mr. Hun Sen.

Cambodian police spokesman Kirth Chantharith said the "VP9" statement was a plot to incite people to riot and overthrow the legitimate government, and called on Cambodians to ignore the call. Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesman Chhum Sucheat also warned that the military and police would "destroy" any coup attempts.

Cambodian police have not released an official image of “VP9,” also known as Vichea Som, amid fears that he will flee the country. Vichea Som’s Facebook page features photos of a man wearing a military uniform similar to the one in the video. The Facebook account has posted numerous posts criticizing the Hun Sen government.

Subject "VP9" made a call to overthrow the government on YouTube. Screenshot

In August 2015, Cambodian police arrested a young student for posting on Facebook calling for the overthrow of the government. He was sentenced to a year and a half in prison in March.

On July 10, Kem Ley, a prominent critic of Mr Hun Sen, was assassinated in the capital Phnom Penh. Cambodian investigators said he may have been killed over a debt, but some believe the killing was politically motivated.

Cambodia has moved tanks from a military base near the Preah Vihear temple on the Thai border to a highway heading toward the capital, Phnom Penh, in the past few days. Rumors have suggested the move is linked to a coup plot, but some observers believe it is part of the government’s preparations for Kem Ley’s funeral, scheduled for July 24. The Cambodia Daily predicts that thousands of people will flock to Phnom Penh to take Kem Ley’s body back to his hometown in Takeo province.

Tensions between Mr Hun Sen and his political opponents have been rising in recent months ahead of local elections next year and a general election in 2018.

According to VNE