A Hong Kong male tourist was detained in Cambodia over the weekend after flying a drone over the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Xinhua news agency has reported.

The man, identified as Figa Wong, 40, was released Saturday evening, hours after his arrest, after signing a written promise not to do it again, Xinhua said.

According to the Phnom Penh Post, police also confiscated Wong’s drone.

drone flying
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. Photo: Wikicommons.

Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok said neither the Hong Kong government nor the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh received a call for help from Wong.

Camera-equipped drones are not allowed to be flown without a permit in Cambodia, a decision made earlier this year after Cambodia’s Queen Mother, Norodom Monineath, saw a German tourist flying one over the Royal Palace, Xinhua said.

Tourists are banned from flying drones around “buildings of national significance, including the Royal Palace, the Senate and the Council of Ministers,” the Phnom Penh Post said.

Vivienne Zeng is a journalist from China with three years' experience covering Hong Kong and mainland affairs. She has an MA in journalism from the University of Hong Kong. Her work has been featured on outlets such as Al Jazeera+ and MSNBC.