Six Cambodian activists have been deported from Thailand and are now facing treason charges in Cambodia for Facebook posts criticizing the government’s involvement in a regional development agreement, The Associated Press reports, citing the Khmer Movement for Democracy (KMD) and local rights groups.
The four women and two men – Pen Chan Sangkream, Hong An, Mean Chanthon, Yin Chanthou, Soeung Khunthea, and Vorn Chanratana – were all associated with the dissolved Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP). They were arrested in Thailand and deported on November 24, a move condemned by the KMD as a violation of their rights and a sign of a de facto agreement between Thailand and Cambodia to return political dissidents.
The activists were charged in August by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court with treason for their Facebook comments criticizing the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) agreement. This decades-old pact, aimed at fostering cooperation on trade and migration, has faced strong criticism over concerns that it favors foreign interests and potentially cedes Cambodian land and sovereignty to Vietnam, a sensitive issue given historical tensions between the two countries.
Am Sam Ath, Operational Director of the Cambodian human rights group Licadho, confirmed the deportation and the treason charges. He expressed concern for the activists’ well-being, citing the overcrowded conditions within Cambodia’s prison system. The KMD echoed these concerns, warning of potential “inhuman and degrading treatment.”
The CLV-DTA agreement sparked widespread protests in August, leading to the arrest of nearly 100 people in Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Manet defended the crackdown, stating it was necessary to maintain social order and security. While the government subsequently withdrew from the CLV-DTA in September, the charges against those who protested remain.
Kheang Sonadin, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s department of prisons, confirmed that the six activists were assigned to various prisons on November 25. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison. The 2018 general election, which saw the CNRP dissolved and the Cambodian People’s Party winning all seats, is viewed by international observers as neither free nor fair.
