The US said on Monday that it is "concerned by the Cambodian government’s ongoing practice of using baseless, politically motivated charges to harass its citizens, including the recent arrests of several people peacefully remembering the life of Kem Ley".

“All Cambodians should be able to exercise their rights to express their views freely and assemble peacefully.

The statement was blasted by ruling Cambodian People's Party spokesperson Sok Eysan, who said there were no restrictions placed on the freedom of expression in the Kingdom.

“This is just their opinion. Their view is politically biased. This is why they have said what they have. There are no restrictions if [people] don’t violate the law,” Eysan said.

Last week, seven people were arrested while marking the third anniversary of the killing of the popular analyst.

Five were later freed, while two, Kung Raiya and Suong Neakpaon, were charged with “incitement to commit crimes” and placed in pre-trial detention.