A local media outlet yesterday reported that the commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) called for the arrest of anyone who claimed Cambodia has ceded land to Vietnam – long a sensitive subject for the ruling party – before quickly pulling the story.

The now-deleted DAP story said that General Pol Saroeun made the comments during a conversation with Vietnam’s Major General Vo Minh Luong on Tuesday. “If there is any person who accused the government of ceding land to Vietnam, they will be arrested and put in jail without exception,” Saroeun was quoted as saying.

Representatives for the Ministry of Defence could not be reached to confirm the remarks, nor could DAP representatives be reached for comment on why the story was taken down.

However, the government has proved especially thin-skinned when it comes to claims of lost territory, long a staple of opposition rhetoric. Opposition lawmakers Um Sam An and Hong Sok Hour were both imprisoned for alleged “incitement” over Facebook posts and videos highly critical of the government’s handling of the border.