The Ministry of Interior has promoted 68 new one-star generals, and promoted another 61 officials to the rank of two- and three-star general, according to a leaked list of promotions obtained yesterday.

Em Sam An, secretary of state at the ministry, also named one-star general Sar Rotha deputy director general of the Immigration Department, and two-star general Dim Ra as director of the Department for Foreigners.

The mass promotion saw another 19 officials promoted to the rank of three-star general, 32 to two star and 68 to one star.

“We recognise their achievement and their hard work . . . therefore we have to encourage them to work for a long time,” Sam An said.

Cambodian civil society has long lambasted the government for mass promotions that critics claim are unwarranted.

Ny Chakrya, head of the Human Rights Monitoring Section for rights group Adhoc, said he was not surprised.

“We wanted to see the government to think deeply before elevating its personnel,” said Chakrya, fearing the promotions would only “encourage” further human rights violations.