The arrest of Cambodian journalist Mech Dara has sparked an outcry from local and international media organisations, calling the move yet another attack on press freedom.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for Dara's immediate release and urged Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to allow the press to operate without fear of harassment.
“Journalist Mech Dara’s arrest and detention show just how far Cambodia’s government is willing to go to squelch independent reporting,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative.
Journalists Against Corruption, a Southeast Asian group, also expressed concern over Dara's imprisonment, noting that the Cambodian government must grant him due process.
“Like any journalist, Mech Dara enjoys freedom of expression and the freedom of the press - in essence, the freedom to do his job of exposing wrongdoing without the threat of harassment, detention and arrest hanging over his head,” the group said in a statement.
49 local and international journalist groups and civil society organisations also call on the Cambodian government to drop the charges, release Dara and cease harassment of media organisations and journalists.
On September 30th, Dara was arrested at the Srae Ambel toll booth on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, while traveling with a relative. According to witnesses, six vehicles, including one bearing Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia insignia, stopped the car and Gendarmerie officers presented Dara with a document before detaining him.
Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged Dara with incitement, under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code, citing social media posts as the basis. These charges, which carry a maximum two-year prison sentence on conviction, are seen by the international media as an attempt to silence Dara, who is known for exposing corruption, environmental destruction and human trafficking.
In 2023, he was honoured with the Trafficking in Persons Report Hero award by the U.S. State Department for his ground-breaking work on transnational human trafficking.
While many have expressed deep concern over the arrest of Mech Dara, Government Spokesman Pen Bona, via social media on Wednesday, questioned civil society organisations. He criticised these groups, stating that, instead of contributing to the fight against misinformation, exaggerated and distorted information which threaten public security, they have stepped forward to protect an individual accused of creating false information.
"So, what do civil society organisations or those defending the mastermind or network of fabricators aim to achieve? Do they want to see more fake, exaggerated and misleading information circulated daily? Do they not wish to see the public calm and protected from this dangerous misinformation? Or is there another agenda they are pursuing?" Bona remarked.
The Ministry of Information also issued a statement, noting that Dara's journalist ID card had expired in 2022, with no renewal request submitted by any media outlet or by Dara as a freelancer.
Many Cambodian journalists have, however, been having problems obtaining a journalist ID card, due to the complicated process.
According to Mech Choulay, Dara’s sibling and a journalist herself, she had applied for the renewal of her journalist ID card in early 2023, but is yet to receive it. She also attempted to contact the Ministry for a 2024 ID card, but was informed that freelancers cannot get the card.
“As a freelance journalist, it has been incredibly difficult for me and my friends to obtain the journalist ID card. They want us to be affiliated with a media organisation,” Choulay said.
Nop Vy, Executive Director of the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), reported yesterday that Dara was visited by his lawyer Reim Bora at Kandal Provincial Prison. According to the lawyer, Dara is both mentally and physically stable. He also asked for his family to send him some necessary materials for use in prison.
In 2022, Dara reported on the alleged illegal activities of Cambodian tycoon and senator Ly Yong Phat, who was recently sanctioned by the U.S. government, a move the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) condemned as a "violation of Cambodian sovereignty."
The U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, released on June 24th, highlighted widespread corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes in Cambodia. The report pointed to selective and politically-motivated law enforcement, which hindered effective action against trafficking, including forced labour in online scam operations.
In the 2024 World Press Freedom Index report, by Reporters Without Borders, Cambodia ranked 151st out of 180 countries. The report notes the “ruthless war on journalistic freedom” under the leadership of former Prime Minister Hun Sen.
“His sad legacy of repression against independent media seems to be perpetuated by his son, Hun Manet, in power since 2023,” the report says.
(Photos: Mech Dara's Facebook)
