Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen criticized a social media video showing a man shooting at his image during a carnival in Thailand, amid ongoing tensions over the border dispute between the two nations. The territorial conflicts escalated in July, resulting in the deadliest military clashes between Cambodia and Thailand in decades, leading to over 40 casualties and displacing approximately 300,000 people from their homes.
Following a ceasefire agreement after five days of fighting, both countries have been accusing each other of violating the truce on multiple occasions. Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for almost four decades before his son assumed the role of prime minister in 2023, condemned the video where he alleged a “Thai national (who) displayed my photo to shoot at in order to win prizes.”
In the video shared by Hun Sen on social media, a man in a khaki uniform is depicted raising an air rifle and targeting a paper with the politician’s image at a carnival booth adorned with plushie prizes. The former premier urged Cambodians not to retaliate, denouncing the carnival game with “WANTED” above his picture as “disgraceful” and “immoral behavior.”