AKP Phnom Penh, March 11, 2026 --

Cambodia’s Acting Head of State, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, has said that his over-four-decades involvement in national leadership had focused on promoting ethnic and religious harmony, helping the country avoid sectarian conflict.

Writing on his official social media platforms on Wednesday afternoon, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, former Prime Minister, said recent public discussion surrounding remarks by a woman identified as Kanitha had raised concerns after she suggested that the United States could arrest Cambodian Muslims who practice an Iranian-style interpretation of Islam in Cambodia.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen said he had initially been reluctant to comment but decided to intervene out of concern the issue could escalate.

“If I do not step in, the matter could grow larger because what was raised carries the nature of a threat against citizens of a sovereign state,” he wrote, stressing that such language was unlikely to be used even by the U.S. government itself.

He warned that the remarks could fuel divisions within Islam as well as among Cambodia’s different religious communities.

“Armed conflict is frightening, but what is even more frightening is religious war,” he said.

Samdech Techo Hun Sen added that during his more than 47 years participating in political leadership in Cambodia, he had worked to promote harmony among ethnic groups and religions, which he said had helped ensure the country remained free of ethnic and religious conflict.

By K. Rithy Reak