A man identified by authorities as the son of a military police official in Kratie’s Sambor district was sent to court yesterday after being arrested for beating up two purported journalists on Saturday, police said.

“Um Munith was sent to court today and charged with attempted violence,” Kratie deputy police chief Um Phy said yesterday, declining to comment further, beyond saying Muntith’s father was a district military police official.

Kim Bunsuon, one of the alleged victims, said he was at a restaurant in Sre Treng village when Munith came in and said that when he sees a journalist’s face, he wants to beat it.

Munith then allegedly attacked Bunsuon and Nin Ran, a fellow reporter trying to break up the fight, injuring them with his fists and a knife handle, Bunsuon said.

Bunsuon and Ran write for Areyathor Khmer and Panhavorn Khmer newspapers, respectively. Authorities said that the papers are published rarely and irregularly.

According to Bunsuon, Ran had previously told other reporters that Munith used his father’s car for illegal hunting, logging and smuggling, adding Munith was probably acting out of revenge.