Cambodia's exiled opposition leader has been tried in absentia on charges of conspiring to incite chaos through false documents posted on his Facebook page, a crime punishable by up to 17 years in prison.

Two other opposition members, who ran and maintained Sam Rainsy's Facebook page, also were tried on the same charges - conspiracy to falsify public documents, inciting chaos and using fake documents. The two fled Cambodia in August 2015 to avoid arrest. Sam Rainsy, the president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, lives in exile in France.

After a brief hearing Friday that included statements by the prosecutor and the defense, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court adjourned the trial and set the verdict for Dec. 22.</s>PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Exiled Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy was tried in absentia Friday for allegedly conspiring to incite chaos in the country through false documents posted on his Facebook page, a crime punishable by up to 17 years in prison.

Two other opposition members who maintained Sam Rainsy’s Facebook page also were tried on the same charges – conspiracy to falsify public documents, inciting chaos and using fake documents. The two fled Cambodia in August 2015 to avoid arrest. Sam Rainsy, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, lives in exile in France.

After a brief hearing that included statements by the prosecutor and the defense attorney, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court adjourned the trial and set the verdict for Dec. 22.

Sam Rainsy’s troubles stem from a post by a member of his party, Sen. Hong Sok Hour, in August 2015 criticizing a 1979 Cambodia-Vietnam border treaty, which implied that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government was Vietnam’s puppet. Hong Sok Hour posted on Sam Rainsy’s page, and was subsequently arrested and tried.

To support his accusation on Facebook he attached a map of the border and a disputed copy of the treaty that said the two countries had agreed to “dissolve” their border. Defense lawyers said the word “dissolve” was a mistranslation of the word “redefine,” but he was convicted last month and sentenced to seven years in prison.

On Friday, prosecutor Sieng Sok urged the court to punish Sam Rainsy and his two colleagues, saying they were part of the conspiracy by allowing his Facebook page to be used by Hong Sok Hour. The convicted senator appeared as a defense witness Friday and testified that Sam Rainsy had nothing to do with the post.

Defense lawyer Sam Sokong told the court that Sam Rainsy was in the United States when the post was made and knew nothing about it. He said the page was operated by other officials.

The trial is the latest in a series of cases against opposition leaders in what is generally seen as an attempt to disrupt their organizing efforts ahead of local elections next June. The next general election is not until the middle of 2018, but holding power at the local level is an advantage when national polls are held.

Sam Rainsy is the most prominent target of these prosecutions, and has been in exile since November last year to avoid a jail term on a conviction that he had thought was covered by a royal pardon. There are several other cases pending against him. The government last month banned his re-entry from abroad, making it more difficult for him to fight the charges even if he chooses to return.

He has also been found guilty of defamation for alleging that a senior government official sought to inflate Hun Sen’s online popularity by buying “likes” for his Facebook page.

Hun Sen has been Cambodia’s leader for three decades. But in a general election in 2013, his grip on power was shaken.</s>While 20 Fenland Running Club members (pictured) were having their annual social Three Counties 10-Mile Run from River Road (Norfolk) on the East bank of the River Nene, via Sutton Bridge (Lincolnshire) to Gypsy Lane on the West bank (Cambridgeshire), Sam Lyddiatt took on a Half Marathon in the Run Barbados Marathon Weekend.

Sam contended with hot and humid running conditions in Barbados.

With an undulating out and back loop starting in the capital Bridgetown, running out of the city along the west coast, Sam grabbed the opportunity of an amazing Half Marathon experience with her husband Pete to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.</s>Former national youth striker Brent Sam and out-of-favour national defender Tyrone Charles scored second-half goals as San Juan Jabloteh ended a three-match winless run with a 2-0 defeat of in-form Club Sando on Friday night.

With the win in the feature match of the double-header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Jabloteh which was beaten in its previous two matches by front-runners, Central FC (2-1) and W Connection (3-0), improved to 19 points in third spot, six off two-time defending champions Central FC while W Connection is second with 22.

Sam, the brother of former national and England-based striker Hector Sam, broke the deadlock in the 50th minute while Charles added the insurance item in the 71st, for a much needed win for Jabloteh, ending the three-match winning streak of former Jabloteh player and coach, Angus Eve's Club Sando, which stayed fifth on 13 points, the same as Ma Pau Stars.

In the night's opening match, struggling duo, Morvant Caledonia United and Pt Fortin Civic shared the points in a 2-2 draw.

Pt Fortin Civic, which has not won a league match for the season to date, twice found itself in winning positions with a double strike from Jamille Boatswain, in the 34th and 46th, his fourth in two matches, after a brace as well in a 7-2 loss to Defence Force. However, the Rajesh Latchoo-coached Morvant Caledonia, which has not won a league match since the opening day of the season on September 30, 3-1 over the same opponent, managed to conjure up an equaliser on both occasions, first through Sheldon Holder two minutes before the half-time whistle, and then on the hour mark by club stalwart, Kareem Joseph.

The result left Morvant Caledonia, second from bottom on the 10-team table with seven points, six ahead of Pt Fortin Civic.

Tomorrow, attention will turn to the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, where Central FC, which captured the Rawle Fletcher Trophy as Round One winners, comes up against W Connection in a top-of-the-table duel, dubbed the "Couva Classico" while in-form Defence Force faces St Ann’s Rangers on Tuesday from 6 pm at Mucurapo.
Sam Rainsy, the Cambodian opposition leader, is tried yet again in absentia.