An environmental journalist who had reported on logging in a wildlife sanctuary has been charged with incitement and defamation, in the latest sign of deteriorating press freedom in Cambodia, a human rights group said Tuesday.
The journalist, Ouk Mao, 49, was arrested at his home in the northeastern province of Stung Treng last Friday by plainclothes officers who did not produce a warrant.
Ouk Mao’s wife Ek Socheat told environmental news outlet Mongabay that three plainclothes officers entered his home, handcuffed him and told him that “their boss wanted to speak to Mao about a piece of land,” before taking him to Stung Treng Provincial Gendarmerie Headquarters.
The Strung Treng Provincial Court then charged Ouk Mao with incitement to commit assault and public defamation, according to Yin Mengly from the human rights group Adhoc which is monitoring the case. He described the charges as excessive and unjustified. Ouk Mao faces between six months and two years in prison on the incitement charge.
“Everything he (Ouk Mao) said was backed by evidence of forest destruction. So, instead of targeting him, they should cooperate with him,” Yin Mengly told RFA Khmer.
Ek Socheat told RFA that she had gone to the court but has not seen her husband since Friday. She condemned her husband’s arrest as unjust and said she now has to care for their seven children alone.
Treating reporters as criminals
International press rights groups joined in condemning the arrest.
“Ouk Mao’s seizure and detention, without any explanation, is just the latest assault in Cambodia on journalists who report on environmental issues and crimes,” Shawn Crispin, senior Southeast Asia representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement.
“Cambodia should stop treating environmental reporters as criminals,” he said.
Ouk Mao has long campaigned and reported on deforestation, including at the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary which straddles four provinces including Stung Treng. He has accused Stung Treng provincial officials of taking bribes from illegal timber traders. He reports for Intriplus News and is also a member of a small opposition political party, For Cambodia.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said that on March 24, four men tried to force Ouk Mao to delete video footage and photos he took of them while documenting illegal logging in Prey Lang, a confrontation he posted on Intriplus News’ Facebook page. Police refused to take action against the assailants, and Ouk Mao refused demands he take the video down, the CPJ statement said.
សមត្ថកិច្ចចាប់អ្នកកាសែត និងជាអ្នកការពារព្រៃឡង់លោក អ៊ុក ម៉ៅសមត្ថកិច្ចចាប់អ្នកកាសែត និងជាអ្នកការពារព្រៃឡង់លោក អ៊ុក ម៉ៅ --- សមត្ថកិច្ចខេត្តស្ទឹងត្រែង បានចុះចាប់អ្នកកាសែត និងជាអ្នកការពារព្រៃឡង់ លោក អ៊ុក ម៉ៅ ដល់ក្នុងផ្ទះដោយទាំងគ្មានដីកា និងមិនប្រាប់ពីបទចោទ។ អ្នកការពារសិទ្ធិអ្នកកាសែត និងមន្ត្រីសិទ្ធិមនុស្ស រិះគន់ថា ទង្វើរបស់សមត្ថកិច្ចជាការបំពានច្បាប់។ --- ដើម្បីស្វែងរកព័ត៌មានផ្សេងទៀតរបស់វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី សូមចូលទៅកាន់៖ 👉 rfa.org/khmer 👉 facebook.com/rfacambodia 👉 youtube.com/RFAKhmerVideo 👉 x.com/RadioFreeAsiaKH 👉 t.me/rfakhmer 👉 instagram.com/rfakhmer 👉 bsky.app/profile/rfakhmer.bsky.social --- #វិទ្យុអាស៊ីសេរី #កម្ពុជា #ហ៊ុនម៉ាណែត #អ៊ុកម៉ៅ #សកម្មជនបរិស្ថាន #ព្រៃឡង់ #បរិស្ថាន #កាប់បំផ្លាញព្រៃឈើ #អ្នកកាសែត #RFAKhmer #Cambodia #HunManet #OukMa #DefenderKH #PreyLang #Environment #Deforestation #Journalist
Posted by RFA Khmer on Saturday, May 17, 2025
The Ministry of Environment in Stung Treng issued a statement criticizing an interview that Ouk Mao gave with RFA Khmer about his allegations against the local officials. It demanded he issue a correction and write a public letter of apology within 48 hours or face legal action.
The Stung Treng provincial court is set to hear another case involving Ouk Mao on May 28 where he’s accused of clearing and encroaching on forest land, and burning it to claim ownership. In another case he is accused of violent land encroachment.
In total, there are 15 complaints filed against Ouk Mao. The plaintiffs include officials from the Stung Treng Provincial Department of Environment and other agencies.
Nop Vy, president of the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association, also known as CamboJA, said the court’s response amounts to intimidation and obstruction of journalistic work.
“I believe the charges against Ouk Mao are unfair. What he did was not for personal gain but for the collective benefit of natural resource protection. So, these accusations are truly unjust to him,” he told RFA.
His case is not unusual in the shrinking space for independent journalists and environmentalists in Cambodia.
In December, veteran reporter Chhoeung Chheng was fatally shot in Siem Reap province as he traveled by motorbike toward the Boeung Per Wildlife Sanctuary.
In January, British environmental journalist Gerald Flynn learned he was blacklisted by Cambodia. Flynn has reported extensively about deforestation in Prey Lang, illegal fishing and the failure of a global carbon credit program.
Translated by Poly Sam. Edited by Mat Pennington.
