Woman convicted in ripping king's photos

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- A Chinese woman was booked, charged and convicted in less than 36 hours of destroying two photographs of the late Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk, officials say.

The rapid-fire legal activity was seen as an attempt by the government to stave off threatened demonstrations by people upset by the woman's actions, the Phnom Penh Post reported Wednesday.

Wang Zia Chao, a factory manager, was arrested Monday after she pulled photos of Sihanouk out of a worker's hands and ripped them up.

Sihanouk died Oct. 15.

Tuesday night, she was convicted of intentionally causing damage and sentenced to a year in prison. The judge immediately suspended the sentence and ordered her deported to China.

Wang told the judge she had not realized the photos were of the king.

Following the photos' destruction, more than 1,000 workers went on strike and threatened to march from the factory to the Royal Palace. Police calmed the demonstrators by having Wang prostrate herself before an image of Sihanouk and apologize.

A second Chinese national was detained Tuesday in a separate incident.

Police said she destroyed a picture of the moon in which the king's face was said to be visible.

She was questioned by police and released, but was not arrested because police said the image was not an actual likeness of the king.