The three activists from the NGO Mother Nature, Long Kunthea, Phuon Keoreaksmey, and Thon Ratha, were arrested on September 3 over posts they made on social media saying they planned to march to the prime minister’s house to raise awareness on environmental issues caused by the filling in of Boeng Tamok lake.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged three environmental activists with incitement to disturb social security on September 6, a move civil society groups have said is meant as a threat to others who dare to criticize the government.

However, Alex Gonzalez-Davidson, the outspoken director of Mother Nature said September 4 that from a legal point of view, the detention of the three activists is completely arbitrary and unlawful.

He said that although Mother Nature has not been registered as an NGO since they were struck from the Interior Ministry’s list in 2017, they are still active.