Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen landed in the middle of a social media hailstorm after he celebrated the failed bid of Pita Limjaroenrat to become Thailand’s next leader as a lesson to his opponents.

In the now-deleted post after angry reaction from Thai users, the Cambodian leader called his opponents as “traitors” who thought if “Pita becomes the prime minister of Thailand, they would use Thai territory to do campaign against the Royal Government of Cambodia.”

“Now the expectations of the brute opposition group have vanished like a salt in water,” he had said in that Tweet.

The comment was aimed at what Hun Sen termed as “Khmer extremists” opposed to his government. Earlier this month, a member from the Candlelight Party, Hun Sen’s primary opposition, was arrested in Bangkok and sent to an immigration detention center. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Thai Twitter users, many of whom were already upset with Pita’s defeat, had one overarching message for Hun Sen: mind your own business.

After deleting his Tweet, Hun Sen on Friday defended himself, saying that his earlier message was aimed at the opposition he faces in Cambodia and not Pita personally. The premier later added that he is “not against Pita” and that he is “ready to work in the event that Pita leads the Thai government.”

“I respect the decision of the Thai people and I do not to interfere in internal affairs of Thailand,” said Hun Sen, who himself is due to face an election later this month.