Rong Chhun, advisor to Nation Power Party, who maintains his stance on human rights, says paying 400 million riel or about $100,000, in damages to the Border Affairs Committee is a huge burden for him, requesting that he be allowed to pay in stages.

On February 11, 2025, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court ordered Chhun, and two other political activists to pay $100,000 to the Border Affairs Committee following the ruling on his incitement case for commenting on the demarcation of the Cambodia-Vietnam border in Tbong Khmum province in 2020.

The order came after the three of them raised concerns in 2021 about the loss of agricultural land during the government’s border demarcation in Tbong Khmum province.

Speaking at a press conference on the morning of March 12, 2025, Chhun said the $100,000 compensation was a huge pressure on him, and he can only pay based on his ability to raise funds from the public.

However, he maintained his resolve in upholding the interests of Cambodians and the nation. At the same time, he claimed that his arrest and detention in  prison for the past 15 months was unfair.

“What is the damage? I only rode a motorbike on the red soil. Even if I touched the border post, there was no damage. What’s the reason for a compensation of this amount? We know that $100,000 is a huge amount for us.” “ We have no income or job. We have been doing social work all this time, so we cannot afford to pay the compensation,” said Chhun. 

Chhun said his lawyer submitted a request to the court on February 24 to allow him to pay according to his ability, but the court clerk refused to accept the compensation, noting that “it was not the deadline yet” and that “we are waiting for the court’s answer”. On March 11, his lawyer brought 20 million riel to pay the court, but was refused, as “only the full amount of $100,000 was accepted”. Chhun believes that it is a “form of persecution against him”.

“We will not be able to pay in a month if the court insists on the full amount, which is too much for me. I do not have the money. This is like killing the snail and wanting its blood,” Chhun said.

To date, approximately 2,133 people have donated money, receiving $21,037 and nearly eight million riel (about $2,000). Chhun added that the “one-dollar campaign” to collect money for him to cover his compensation for the border case showed people’s spirit and solidarity for him. Even though the court did not give him justice, he claims that the “people’s court gave him justice”.

“Although the amount is small, people showed their spirit, which is justice in Cambodian society. People also want to show that I am pure and want justice for me. Even though the court did not give me justice, the people have joined to give me justice,” Chhun said.

Chhun was sentenced on August 18, 2021, by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to two years in prison for incitement for comments on the border issue that he led people to Tbong Khmum province. The people there told his group that they were prohibited from farming by the Vietnamese authorities or that there was a border demarcation into Cambodian territory.

He was released on November 12, 2021, by the Court of Appeal with the sentence reduced to 15 months and 11 days, and the remaining eight months and 19 days of the sentence suspended. However, during the suspension, the court placed him under supervision for three years and was not allowed to travel abroad or engage in some activities.

Chea Mony, president of Nation Power Party, said $100,000 is a large amount, urging the court to reconsider the payment procedure as Chhun “does not have a lot of money to pay the compensation”.

“Rong Chhun will still pay, he is not evading, but it is not possible to make money immediately. It is difficult to raise $100,000 in a month. So please reconsider,” said Mony.

He added that in the event that Chhun is arrested and imprisoned again, it is not beneficial because there is no law that can force him, as he was abiding by the court’s decision to pay the compensation.

Koy Pisey, deputy head of Cambodia Border Affairs Committee, and Lam Chea, Minister-in-charge of Border Affairs Committee, could not be reached for comment. 

Y Rin, spokesperson for Phnom Penh Municipal Court, could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Yi Soksan, senior investigator at ADHOC, said if the court allows Chhun to pay compensation according to his ability, it would be fine, otherwise he would feel the stress.

He also urged the government to stop making accusations against the opposition party, believing that such political games are overrated. The government is mature and should be open to opinions from the people.

“Regarding Rong Chhun, the court should be kind and agree to the request of his lawyer, which is good,” Soksan said.