Cambodia's parliament passed a law Friday that makes adultery a criminal offense that could result in up to a year in jail. The government argued that making adultery illegal would cut down on rampant corruption, but opposition lawmakers said the law sounds like one that would be instituted by a totalitarian regime.

Married Cambodian men often keep mistresses, and some of their wives resort to violence to put an end to it. Since 1999 at least 108 cases have been reported of women being attacked with acid, generally by an infuriated wife, the Licadho human rights group says.

The government said on Friday that if adultery is illegal less officials will steal from state coffers to be able to maintain their mistresses. They also said Cambodia is growing increasingly immoral.

Reuters reports that National Assembly Chairman Heng Samrin said, "This law is also aimed at reducing corruption, because when government officials have more women, they seek more financial sources to support their girls."

Opposition lawmakers walked out after the vote, saying lawmakers should be focusing on poverty and corruption instead of passing laws that legislate morality.

Sam Rainsy, chief of his eponymous opposition party, "The government wants to distract the public from the important issues of poverty and the culture of impunity."

Opposition MP Eng Chhay Eang brought up the Taliban and Pol Pot.

He said, "There are only a couple of countries in the world which prosecuted personal immorality based on their sacred texts such as the ousted Taliban regime.

"They forced people to follow their tradition which cannot be accepted. So did Pol Pot's regime. They murdered people who had love affairs"