Campaign no-no

Military Police in Phnom Penh’s Chamkarmon district impounded a state vehicle last night and detained its owner for questioning over using state property for campaigning.

Adorned with two large Cambodian People’s Party stickers – one bearing a life-size face of Prime Minister Hun Sen – the Toyota Camry was brought to the district military police station at around 8pm after opposition legislator Mu Sochua reported it to police.

District military police officials declined to comment and refused to provide the name of the owner, but an officer speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the car had been impounded “because it has military plates and uses party stickers”.

National Election Committee officials and even the premier have warned against such appropriation of state resources, which is in direct violation of the election law, but several instances have been recorded.