A cambodian opposition senator could be jailed for 17 years after a court charged him yesterday over the posting of a disputed document on social media about the border with Vietnam.
Anti-Vietnamese sentiment is strong in parts of Cambodia anfd is often used by the opposition as a touchstone issue to rally support.
SenatorHong Sok Hour was arrested on Saturday days after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun SEn accused him of committing treason by posting a "doctored" version of an old treaty about the border on his Facebook page.
The legal move follows an uptick in the campaign by the kingdom's main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party to combat alleged encroachment by Vietnam.
Hong sok Hour belongs to a CNRP-affiated party active in the Cambodiaan Senate.
In a rare Sunday sitting a Phnom Penhcourt charged the senator with "falsifying public document s,using fake pubilc documents,incitement causing unrest",acccording to a letter from the prosecution seen by reponters. "He faces up to 10 years i jail for the first charge, up to 10 years in jail for the first charge, up to five for the second and up to two for the thaird", defence lawyer Sam Sokong said
The neighbours have shared a testy relationship since Vietnam's troops invaded to outs Cambodia's geocidal Khmer Rouge regime in 1979 before withdrawing a decade later.
Stromgaman Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for three decades, is highly sensitive to criticism that he is too soft on Vietnam over the disputed areas of the shared border.