Sixteen youths from Siem Reap and Battambang provinces, who were in Phnom Penh to attend a social protection forum by Youth Resource Development Program (YRDP) in a hotel, were allowed to return home on Monday night, a senior officer of rights-based NGO, Adhoc, confirmed.
The youths were detained on August 17 night for questioning amid arrests by the authorities in the days leading up to an anti-Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Areas (CLV-DTA) rally planned on August 18, which did not happen.
According to Adhoc senior investigator Yi Soksan, YRDP staff Sak Kanika and five members of Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA) still remained in custody for questioning.
“We call on the government to release them because they [are allowed] to organize gatherings and share information which is an expression of opinion. It is not wrong as it is stipulated in the law,” Soksan said.
“It [the arrest] violates the rights of citizens and the Cambodian constitution,” he said, citing articles of law that allow Cambodians the right to assemble, hold peaceful strikes and demonstrations.
YRDP executive director Chan Ramy could not be reached for comment.
National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun declined to reveal the exact number of people who were detained for questioning over alleged plans to carry out the CLV-DTA protest in Phnom Penh.
“We have brought them in for questioning. If they committed [an offense], we’ll send them to court. If they didn’t commit [any offense], they will be allowed to return home,” he said.
“As for the number of people [detained], let us do our job […] I’ve no time to answer questions at the moment,” Kim Khoeun added.
It is learnt that over 30 people were arrested, including political party members and human rights activists in the run-up to the alleged rally to oppose the CLV-DTA.
Of those arrested, 16 were participants of the YRDP forum and four were KSILA members, whose youth association office was shut down by the police, while the rest were political activists.
As of Tuesday, the authorities including the police and military police continue to man the barricades and check people and vehicles entering Phnom Penh to “prevent any attempt to overthrow the government”.
Two weeks ago, several thousand Cambodians protested in South Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States to oppose the CLV-DTA due to concerns of Cambodia ceding territory in northeast provinces to Vietnam.
Local online media Freshnews posted a video clip of KSILA accountant Lach Tina who admitted making a mistake, which “disturbed social security”, by planning to join the August 18 demonstration.
“I regret being deceived by a group of opposition [activists] abroad and for using that [protests] as a platform to go against the government. I ask Samdech Techo [Hun Sen] and Samdech Thipadei [Hun Manet] to forgive me,” Tina said.
She urged KLSA members and youths to stop being “cheated” by environmental activist Mean Lisa who persuaded youths to “achieve” NGO Mother Nature founder Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson’s “ill-intentioned goal” to overthrow the legitimate government.
Meanwhile, Grassroots Democratic Party activist Sem Sophal, who was arrested in Kandal province last week, has been placed in pretrial detention in Prey Sar prison on incitement charges, her son Phalla Phanith told CamboJA News on Tuesday.
“The arrest of my mother is akin to kidnapping because no one in the house knew about it. The people near the farm told me,” Phanith said, adding that he only knew about his mother being sent to prison three days later.
The arrest of his mother occurred after a meeting with Por Andet villagers at 1pm on August 16, which was convened by the village chief to instruct them not to participate in the demonstration in Phnom Penh.
During the meeting, Sophal had a minor argument with the authorities for restricting villagers from talking about political issues. Later that evening, she was arrested at her farm.
Having received news of his mother’s arrest, Phanith tried to obtain further information from the village and commune authorities but was informed by Sampov Puon municipal authorities that she had been sent to Phnom Penh.
“My relatives and I tried to go to the commune for information, but they said they didn’t know [her whereabouts]. They said they hadn’t seen her. The commissioner did not see her either,” Phanith said.
“I was apprehensive because my mother is old and sick. She has pain in her arms and back,” he added.
Three opposition party members, who were arrested on August 17, were still detained at the provincial police headquarters in Pailin for questioning at the time of writing.
Ouk Nakri, Meas Kol’s wife, told CamboJA News that he was arrested at 9.45 p.m on August 17 and sent to Pailin Provincial Police.
“I do not know what my husband was arrested for because I didn’t know or hear him talk about joining a demonstration,” she said.
“I am having a hard time due to his arrest because we have debts with the bank,” she added. She was also concerned about her husband’s safety and their livelihood.
Rights group NGO Licadho operations director Am Sam Ath expressed concern over the arrests of youths related to the planned CLV-DTA rally.
Sam Ath, who was worried about people being arrested following the warning by the government, said it happened as anticipated.
“It has happened as expected but what was important is that we want to see all politicians uphold national interests and not use people as political tools because the ones who suffer are the citizens,” he said.
He recalled the mass trial of over 130 opposition party activists that took place following their arrest and conviction linked to the unsuccessful return of opposition leader Sam Rainsy on November 9, 2019.
