A Pailin commune councillor was charged with “incitement” and insult and sent to pretrial detention yesterday after he took to Facebook on Sunday to reject Prime Minister Hun Sen’s invitation to opposition commune officials to defect to the ruling party in the face of the CNRP’s imminent dissolution.

Stung Kach CNRP Councillor Chhun Sithy was arrested on Tuesday after he published a Facebook video rejecting Hun Sen’s offer, saying he wanted to work only for the CNRP and that the premier was an “ignorant man” for making the proposal.

After being questioned over two days, Sithy was charged by Pailin Provincial Court Investigating Judge Hoa Tean Leng under articles 495 and 502 of the Criminal Code, for “incitement” and insult, respectively, and detained to await trial.

“The investigating judge already sent him to pre-trial detention for the charges,” Chea Chandin, police chief for Pailin, said yesterday.

Pailin Provincial Court Prosecutor Toch Sopheakdey told The Post on Wednesday that Sithy’s ruling party colleagues had filed the complaint over a video, and confirmed yesterday that the video in question was of him rejecting Hun Sen’s offer.

CNRP Provincial Councillor Ven Dara said Sithy potentially faces up to two years in prison.

“I think this is unjust for him and it is revenge by the CPP commune council because he was active during the [June commune] election campaign,” Dara said.