A Cambodian opposition MP was jailed for two and a half years today for posting a map on Facebook professing to show that the government had ceded territory to Vietnam.

Cambodia has for centuries fretted about its much bigger neighbours - Vietnam to the east and Thailand to the northwest - encroaching on its territory. The issue remains emotive and many Cambodians are suspicious of both countries.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Um Sam An, 40, of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), guilty of incitement to cause discrimination and instability when he repeatedly posted "fake" border maps on Facebook.

"Um Sam An's crimes caused severe social instability and is a racial incitement," judge Heng Sokna said in his verdict. Sam An was also fined $1,000.

Sam An was arrested in April after arriving from overseas amid what activists say is a crackdown on critics of Prime Minister Hun Sen ahead of local and general elections.

Another CNRP senator, Hong Sok Hour, is in prison awaiting trial on a charge of posting on Facebook a fake government pledge to dissolve Cambodia's border with Vietnam.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.