Deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Kun Kim yesterday reminded troops in the country’s east to remain vigilant against any groups plotting a “colour revolution” to topple the government, according to an official.

As the relationship between the Kingdom’s two main political parties has deteriorated in recent months, government and military officials have increasingly warned of potential “instability” and vowed to stamp out any suggestion of a “colour revolution” – the largely nonviolent popular movements that have toppled regimes in Eastern Europe.

Kim, a long-time close ally of Prime Minister Hun Sen, has taken to the road this week to hand out raincoats ahead of monsoon season, starting on Monday near the northern border with Thailand and arriving yesterday in military region two, which includes Prey Veng, Kampong Cham and Svay Rieng provinces.

The four-star general yesterday used the opportunity to instruct the troops concerning potential unrest, said Brigadier General Thong Solimo, who is travelling with the commander.

“He made a short speech to remind all armed forces to protect the legitimate government against any group attempting to topple it or trying to stage a colour revolution that will cause instability,” said Solimo.

Meanwhile yesterday, an official from the Ministry of Rural Development called on the ministry’s officials to take action against the “Black Monday” campaign, a movement to release NGO workers recently detained on widely criticised charges pertaining to an ongoing sex scandal involving opposition deputy president Kem Sokha.

At a meeting, Rural Development Secretary of State Sous Kong, on behalf of Minister Ouk Rabun, instructed civil servants to take measures to stop the campaign, according to a post on the ministry’s Facebook page.

However, contacted yesterday, Rabun declined to elaborate on what role his ministry was set to play in such efforts.