Public angered over Chinese woman's 'forced kowtow'

A Chinese woman who tore up former Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk's photos was forced by Cambodian police to kneel down in front of the king's portrait have triggered controversy among the Chinese public.

Although the Chinese government Tuesday expressed support for Cambodian authorities in holding the woman responsible for breaking local laws, some said making a Chinese citizen kowtow before a foreign king was illegal and too much to bear.

According to Xinhua, the woman, surnamed Wang, a production manager at a garment factory in Phnom Penh, used scissors to cut up two portraits of Norodom Sihanouk while workers mourned the former king, who passed away on October 15 in Beijing.

After the incident, around 1,000 workers walked to the Royal Palace demanding she be punished. The woman was then handed over to local authorities, media reports said.

A local court sentenced Wang to a suspended one-year jail term and fined her $750. She is also facing deportation.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Tuesday that the woman's act was "extremely wrong," and it would be dealt with under Cambodian laws.

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