An environmental journalist who had reported on the journalization of a wildlife sanctuary was accused of incitement and defamation, in the last sign of deterioration of press freedom in Cambodia, a group for the rights of the rights.
The journalist, Ouk Mao, 49, was arrested at his home in the northeast province of Pitum Treng last Friday by plainclothes officers who did not produce a mandate.
Ouk Mao's wife Ek Socheat told Mongabay, Mongabay, that three police officers entered his home, handcuffed him and told him that “their boss wanted to speak to Mao on a field”, before taking him to the head of the provincial gendarmerie Treng.
According to Yin Mengly, the provincial Treng Court then accused Ouk Mao of incentive of committing assault and a defamation of the public, according to Yin Mengly of the human rights group who monitors the case. He described accusations as excessive and unjustified. Ouk Mao risks between six months and two years in prison for accusation of incitement.
“Everything he (Ouk Mao) said was supported by evidence of forest destruction. So, instead of targeting him, they should cooperate with him,” Yin Mengly told Rfa Khmer.
EK Socheat told RFA that she had been to court but had not seen her husband since Friday. She condemned the arrest of her husband as unfair and said that she had to take care of their seven children alone.
Treat journalists and criminals
International press rights groups have joined the conviction of the arrest.
“Ouk Mao's seizure and detention, without any explanation, are only Cambodia's last attack on journalists who report on environmental issues and crimes,” said Shawn Crispin, principal representative of Southeast Asia for the committee to protect journalists in a statement.
“Cambodia should stop treating environmental journalists and criminals,” he said.
Ouk Mao has been campaigning for a long time and reported on deforestation, especially at the Prey Lang fauna sanctuary which overlaps four provinces, including Treng. He accused provincial officials of Treng Piqué of having taken bribes from illegal wooden merchants. He reports for implus news and is also a member of a small opposition political party, for Cambodia.
The committee to protect journalists said that on March 24, four men tried to force Ouk Mao to delete video sequences and photos he took from them while documenting the illegal connection to Prey Lang, a confrontation he published on the Facebook page of Intripplus News. Police refused to take action against the attackers, and Ouk Mao refused the requests he withdraws the video, said the CPJ press release.
The Sung Treng Environment Ministry has published an interview that Ouk Mao gave with RFA Khmer about his allegations against local officials. He asked for a correction and to write a public letter of apology within 48 hours or to face legal action.
The Pique Provincial Court should hear another case involving Ouk Mao on May 28 where it is accused of cleaning and encroachment on forest land, and burning it to claim the property. In another case, he is accused of a violent encroachment of the land.
In total, 15 complaints are filed against Ouk Mao. The complainants include officials from the Provincial Environment Department of Sung Treng and other agencies.
Nop Vy, president of Cambodia journalist Alliance Association, also known as Camboja, said that the court's response is equivalent to intimidation and obstruction of journalistic work.
“I believe that the accusations against Ouk Mao are unfair. What he did was not for personal purposes but for the collective benefit of the protection of natural resources. So these accusations are really unjust,” he told RFA.
His case is not unusual in the narrowing space for independent journalists and environmentalists in Cambodia.
In December, veteran journalist Chhoeung Chheng was fatally shot in the province of Siem Reap while traveling on a motorcycle to the Boeung by fauna sanctuary.
In January, the British journalist of the environment Gerald Flynn learned that he had been put on black list by Cambodia. Flynn has largely reported deforestation in the prey, illegal fishing and the failure of a global carbon credit program.
Translated by Poly Sam. Edited by Mat Pennington.