Hun Sen rewards man who apologised for royal insult

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni lights the SEA Games torch with a candle lit from the sun’s rays as Prime Minister Hun Sen looks on during a ceremony at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap on March 21. The 2023 Southeast Asian Games will be held from May 5 to 17 in Cambodia. (Photo: AFP)

PHNOM PENH: A Cambodian activist arrested for insulting the king was made a government official on Saturday after securing his release with a public apology and defecting to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s party.

Yim Sinorn, formerly an aide to a prominent opposition leader, was detained last month and charged with insulting the monarch and incitement to commit serious unrest in comments he posted on social media.