Cambodia to arrest 3 suspects behind photoshopped image of king

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (UPDATED)– Cambodian police on Monday, January 2, said they planned to arrest 3 suspects, including one believed to be in Thailand, for being behind an offensive photoshopped image of the country’s king that placed him in a gay porn scene.

The image, which appeared on some Facebook accounts in both Cambodia and Thailand this week, is a rare public insult aimed at King Norodom Sihamoni, a monarch who is largely respected and deemed above the country’s political fray. 

While insulting the king is technically illegal in Cambodia, it is rarely prosecuted and does not carry the stiff penalties seen in Thailand where critics of the monarchy have seen decades-long jail sentences handed down. 

The country’s constitution, however. describes him as “inviolable.”

General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Interior, confirmed an investigation had been launched. 

“We have got orders to arrest them,” he told AFP. “If we don’t take action against them, more people might follow their act.”

He declined to specify which law the 3 suspects might have broken, but said: “The king represents the whole nation and they are insulting the king, which is like they are insulting the whole nation.”

Two suspects were believed to be in Cambodia, with the 3rd thought to be in Thailand. He added that authorities would consider asking for help from Bangkok.

Sihamoni ascended the throne in 2004 following the abdication of his father King Norodom Sihanouk.

Observers said he has ruled quietly as a constitutional monarch, fulfilling a symbolic role as head of state and, unlike his father, staying away from domestic politics.

Sihamoni speaks French, Czech and English after spending much of his adult life abroad pursuing a career in the arts – including establishing his own ballet company – before taking the throne.

He is unmarried and has no children. – Rappler.com