One year after five Mother Nature Cambodia activists were imprisoned, civil society groups and families are calling for their immediate release. To mark the anniversary of their detention, rights groups launched a five-day campaign demanding justice, highlighting how their continued detention harms environmental protection efforts and the activists’ families.
It has been one year since five youth activists from Mother Nature Cambodia—Thon Ratha, Phuon Keoreaksmey, Long Kunthea, Ly Chandaravuth, and Yim Leanghy—were arrested on July 2, 2024, and sentenced between six and eight years in prison for “plotting” and “insulting the King”. The charges stem from their efforts to protect the environment and natural resources. In total, ten Mother Nature activists were convicted by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in the same case.
On the afternoon of July 1, civil society groups and youth organized a gathering at the Center for Labor and Human Rights Alliance (CENTRAL) to commemorate the “heroism, courage, determination, and sacrifice” of the Mother Nature youth group who were imprisoned for their advocacy work for environment and natural resources.
About 60 youths, NGO, and embassy representatives joined the gathering with impressions of five environmental activists on the screen, and the event organizer showing a profile video of the five activists and footage of their arrest by the authorities in front of the court in July last year.
The five-day campaign from June 27 to July 2 was organized by civil society groups to commemorate the one-year anniversary of their detention.
Am Sam Ath, operations director of LICADHO, told CamboJA News that the civil society organizations are calling for the unconditional release of the five, as it affects fundamental freedoms. He said environmental protection is not a criminal offense or a crime that requires prosecution or detention.
Therefore, the continued detention will affect the participation of people in the protection of natural resources and intimidate them from wanting to safeguard the environment. It will affect their freedom to participate in environmental protection, amid rising interest in environmental issues in the world.
“Protecting the environment and forests is the responsibility of citizens. They have a right to participate. Civil society organizations are still demanding their release so that they can continue their environmental work and education, and help their families, as some have young children and elderly parents to look after,” Sam Ath said.
‘I miss my daughter’
The five appellants are currently imprisoned in different provincial prisons across the country, a move seen as punitive, especially for their families.
San Saron, 57, mother of environmental activist Long Kunthea, told CamboJA News that she deeply regrets her daughter not being able to complete her bachelor’s degree.
She sees the arrest as unjust, as Kunthea was protecting the environment and exposing illegal environmental crimes. She believes her daughter deserves recognition and the same opportunities as others, not imprisonment.
Saron said she has not been able to visit Kunthea because the prison is too far from her hometown and her work schedule is demanding.
“I really miss my daughter [but] it’s too far. If we go, we will [have to] spend a lot. I feel miserable seeing my daughter face such injustice just because she protects our natural resources. Why did they arrest my daughter?” she said.
Kunthea, an environmental activist, was first arrested on September 3, 2020, and sent to Prey Sar Prison for “inciting to commit a crime” after leading a campaign against the Boeung Tamok land reclamation. She was released on November 12, 2021.
Saron, a widow, urged the court to release her daughter and the other activists so that they can be with their family again. She added that it is time to let them protect the environment again while giving Kunthea a chance to complete her degree.
“I really pity my daughter, she is the eldest and is so unfortunate. She can’t even finish her degree because she was arrested,” Saron said.
‘Have to work even when sick’
Activist Thon Ratha is serving his sentence in Correctional Center 3 in Tboung Khmum province, which NGO Licadho said goes against the detention policies laid out in a Ministry of Interior prakas issued in 2022.
Pat Reaksmey, Ratha’s wife, told CamboJA News that raising three young children all by herself is very hard. She has had to take on the role of father and mother at the same time after her husband’s arrest.
She shared that her husband is living in cramped conditions in prison, though his mental and physical health is stable. She too called on the government and court to remove all their charges so they can resume their environmental and social work.
“It is really difficult that we don’t have him in our family. I am now raising three young kids alone. I act as father and as mother at the same time,” she said.
Reaksmey emphasized that her husband’s actions were aimed at protecting the environment and exposing corruption. “His activities are just to protect the environment and to reveal corruption—illegal actions that destroy natural resources. So, this is correct activism, which is not illegal. They are just citizens who want to protect the environment. This arrest is an injustice,” she said.
Each activist received a six-year prison sentence. Additionally, Sun Ratha, Yim Leanghy, and Gonzalez-Davidson were convicted of insulting the king under Article 437, resulting in a total of eight years in prison and a 10 million riel (around $2,500) fine.
Yim Leanghy’s wife spoke about the hardship she and other activists’ families face after her husband was unjustly imprisoned. She felt that his work to protect the environment benefited society and should be encouraged, not punished.
Leanghy is currently facing poor prison conditions, including overcrowding, limited access to clean water, and health issues. On the one-year anniversary of his imprisonment, his wife called on the court and government to drop the charges and release him.
“I face economic problems because of the expenses of my young children and my husband. Without my husband, I feel so helpless. Even when I am sick, I have to go to work,” she said.
“This accusation is really unfair to his dedication to protect the environment. He sacrificed his family’s well-being to protect the environment, but is accused like this, so I urge the court to release him, so that he can return to his family and serve the national interest.”
Rewarded for their work
According to Licadho, 10 Mother Nature activists—the five who are imprisoned and five others—were convicted of plotting against the state under Article 453 of the Criminal Code. The charges stem from their environmental advocacy work between 2012 and 2021.
Justice Ministry spokesperson Seng Dyna and Court of Appeal spokesperson Khun Leangmeng did not respond for comment.
On April 23, the activists appeared at the Supreme Court to seek provisional release, but a week later the court rejected their bail request. The activists were previously denied release pending appeal in February.
On June 26, the Court of Appeal postponed their hearing, citing the absence of other individuals in the same case.
Licadho’s Sam Ath said the postponement affected the rights of those in prison. Although the appeal hearing does not specify a specific date, the Constitution and international law on due process require that hearings be held quickly so as not to affect the rights of the accused.
“We want the Court of Appeal to expedite the setting a hearing date,” Sam Ath asserted.
NGO Partnership for Environment and Development head of network and advocacy San Mala said more and more environment activists are being arrested. There are 11 environmental activists who were arrested due to their environmental activism.
He urged the court to drop the charges on five environmental activists to let them continue their mission to serve the society.
In 2023, the Mother Nature Cambodia members received the Right Livelihood Award for their “fearless and engaging activism” to protect the environment. The Swedish foundation behind the prize condemned their arrest and sentencing.
The Mother Nature movement was co-founded in 2013 by Spanish national Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson. Deported in 2015, he was tried in absentia and permanently banned from re-entering Cambodia after serving his sentence.
