Khmer Students Intelligent League Association (KSILA) president and youth activist Koet Saray was sentenced to four years in prison and fined two million riel on incitement charges by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on the morning of November 6.
Handcuffed and wearing a prison jumpsuit, Saray was escorted into the courtroom at around 9 a.m. for his sentencing hearing after being convicted of charges stemming from his April 5 arrest for involvement in a land dispute in Preah Vihear province.
During Wednesday’s court proceeding, Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge San Bunthoeun convicted and sentenced Saray, rejecting motions made by the defense.
According to the court’s judgment, Saray’s advocacy and fact-finding mission to Preah Vihear communities were deemed unauthorized and inciting “confusion” among the public. His interview with the locally-banned Radio Free Asia was also considered inciteful.
The court also ruled that Saray’s social media posts about the land dispute were unlawful, citing misinformation and the lack of proper media licensing.
Land disputes in Preah Vihear have increased since 2011, when Seladamex Rubber Plantation acquired 9,000 hectares of economic land concessions taken from Srayong and Phnom Tbeng II communes. In March, 25 of the 36 people who clashed with authorities over disputed land seizures in the communes—where shots were fired—were arrested, but later released on bail after an investigation revealed they had been deceived by land brokers. Saray’s advocacy mission was prompted by this event.
Saray previously said his visit to the village in Preah Vihear was an attempt to help resolve the land dispute with the government. However, Judge Bunthoeun asserted that if Saray truly wanted to find a solution, he should have submitted a request to the authorities first instead of posting “provocative” information.
“The court rejected the motion to dismiss, stating it was inappropriate because there was sufficient evidence to charge him,” Bunthoeun said during the sentence hearing, referring to Saray’s request to drop the charges.
Saray’s four-year sentence was handed down by Judge Bunthoeun, who convicted him on charges of incitement and non-recidivism, with the verdict determined by the judge, not a jury.
Saray’s lawyer, Ly Sochetra, was absent during sentencing but said he would meet his client at Prey Sar prison to discuss filing an appeal.
Speaking outside the courthouse, the operations director for local rights group LICADHO told reporters that Saray’s imprisonment pressures and intimidates other human rights defenders working to protect people in land disputes.
“I see that the actions of Saray are for the protection of human rights, protection of citizens — and land issues should not be prosecuted. And Saray’s interview with RFA was simply him describing what he went to see,” he said.
Sam Ath emphasized that Saray has the right to appeal and expressed hope that he will receive fair justice and be freed to continue his human rights work.
Saray has faced legal action and imprisonment in the past. In October 2021, he was also charged with incitement and sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment with 10 others for participating in a peaceful protest in support of then-jailed unionist Rong Chhun.
Legal action has also targeted other members of the KSILA. In August, the association’s office was closed after several members were preemptively arrested ahead of a planned protest against the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam development triangle, from which the country has since withdrawn.
