"Four environment activists arrested and accused of plotting, according to NGO", 17 June 2021

Four environmental activists were arrested … and accused of plotting, or conspiracy, to commit a crime, according to an officer at an environmental organization.

San Mala, senior advocacy officer at the Cambodian Youth Network, said that the spokesman for the National Police, Chhay Kim Khoeun, told him and his colleagues … that four young activists were arrested.

Mala said that Ly Chandaravuth, Sun Ratha and Sith Chhivlimeng were arrested in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district … while an environmental activist Yim Leanghy was arrested in Kandal province’s Koh Thom district the same day.

He said that all of them are environmental activists who work on environmental issues and are critical of the government. Their primary work involves producing short video clips about environmental issues and posting it on their Facebook page…

Daun Penh police chief Teang Chansar confirmed that the arrests occurred, though he declined to answer questions…

Sun Samnang, 21, brother of activist Sun Ratha said his sister is a good person who has done nothing wrong.

“I think that her arrest is an injustice,” Samnang said. “I want the authorities to release her because she just joined to protect the environment.”…

Am Sam Ath, deputy director of rights group Licadho, said such activism was critical to protecting the environment. He noted that when the US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman met with Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier this month, she requested the government to release imprisoned environmental activists and drop charges against them…