"Environmental activists charged with plotting and insulting the king", 21 June 2021

Three environmental activists have been sent to pre-trial detention on charges of plotting and insulting the king by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. The co-founder of environmental group Mother Nature has also been charged in absentia.

The two activists, Sun Ratha and Yim Leanghy, as well as Mother Nature co-founder and Spanish national Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson, were charged with both plotting and insulting the king. A young activist Ly Chandaravuth was charged only with plotting. Their lawyer, Sam Sokong, told … that all three local activists were now behind bars…

The three young activists were arrested … alongside fellow activist Sith Chhivlimeng, who was later released from custody. National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun confirmed … that Chhivlimeng had not been named in the police report.

He claimed that the arrest had come after police had found evidence showing the activists had worked with illegal organisations under the direction of Gonzalez-Davidson to topple the government under the pretext of environmental activism.

“This group operates with a well-organized organization of foreigners mapping their activities and operations,” he claimed.

Mother Nature co-founder Gonzalez-Davidson said … that the activists should not have been arrested, saying that they had just been taking pictures of sewage being dumped into the Tonle Sap River. He said that he did not know the reason for Chhivlimeng’s release.

… Deputy director of monitoring at human rights group Licadho Am Sam Ath said that these charges were harsher than those previously brought against other environmental activists, a number of whom have been charged with incitement over the past year…