H.E. Aphi Santepundit Sar Sokha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, today issued a severe warning to the Cambodian populace, emphasising that acts of espionage or aiding foreign powers—especially during times of national conflict—constitute high treason and are punishable under the Kingdom’s criminal law, including potential loss of citizenship.
“Dear compatriots,” H.E. Aphi Santepundit Sokha stated, “I urge you to remain extremely vigilant against any actions that could compromise our national security, particularly at this critical time when our armed forces are engaged in intense operations to repel aggressive incursions launched by Thailand along our border.”
The Deputy Prime Minister disclosed that a small number of Cambodian citizens had recently been recruited by Thai intelligence to act as spies. These individuals, he revealed, were found to have secretly installed GPS tracking devices, taken unauthorised photographs, and transmitted sensitive information regarding the positions and movements of Cambodian military units.
Authorities have since arrested the suspects and seized concrete evidence of their actions.
“Let me be clear,” he emphasised. “Any act—regardless of method—that endangers national security or undermines the sovereignty and safety of our people is a serious criminal offence under Cambodian law. These include, but are not limited to, espionage, aiding foreign aggression, and leaking national defence information.”
According to Cambodia’s Penal Code, individuals found guilty of the following offenses face significant prison sentences:
– Colluding with foreign entities to provoke armed aggression: 15 to 30 years in prison;
– Passing or facilitating the leakage of national security information: 7 to 15 years in prison;
– Gathering or transmitting sensitive intelligence to foreign powers: 5 to 10 years in prison;
– Acts of violence that jeopardise state institutions or territorial integrity: 15 to 30 years of imprisonment.
H.E. Aphi Santepundit Sokha reminded citizens of Cambodia’s long history of suffering due to foreign invasions and the painful sacrifices made by previous generations to preserve the nation’s sovereignty.
“If you are being lured or manipulated by Thai agents, remember the blood of countless Khmer ancestors flows through your veins,” he implored. “This land has endured centuries of war, and our nation has been the battleground for many aggressors.”
He underscored the severe consequences of betrayal, stating, “Throughout history, it is often the betrayal of a few that has led to the suffering of the many. The current peace and integrity we enjoy today is built on the sacrifice of our armed forces—particularly the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and the National Police—whose flesh, blood, and bones have formed the very foundations of this country’s defence.”
He lamented that recent acts of treason have directly endangered frontline soldiers and even led to casualties among Cambodian troops.
“Therefore, I call on every Cambodian to place national interest above all else. Let us not allow history to remember us as traitors during a time when the entire nation—its government, its people, and its armed forces—are united in protecting our sovereignty.”
The Deputy Prime Minister concluded with a powerful appeal to national conscience: “We are all patriots at heart. As long as we refrain from acts that endanger our people and nation, it does not matter who we are, what position we hold, or where we are. The soul of the nation lives in all of us.”
