A Cambodian court sentenced five environmental activists for up to 20 months in jail on Wednesday for incitement to commit crimes, over their attempts to organise a march to the prime minister's residence to protest the filling-in of a city lake.
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Outrage as Cambodian court convicts activists for inciting ‘social chaos’ by planning one-person march
by Gerald Flynn on 14 May 2021
On May 5, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted and sentenced five activists from the environmental group Mother Nature Cambodia: Long Kunthea, Phuon Keoraksmey, Thun Ratha, Chea Kunthin and Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson.
The activists have been convicted of intending to cause “social chaos” by planning a protest of the government-sanctioned destruction of Phnom Penh’s lakes, which are being filled in for development. The planned one-person march never actually took place.
Kunthea and Keoraksmey were sentenced to 18 months in prison and Ratha received a 20-month sentence while Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson and Chea Kunthin were sentenced in absentia; each activist was also fined $1,000.