Ahead of the two-year anniversary of the arrest of former Radio Free Asia (RFA) journalists Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia, said:
“Two years on, it is outrageous that these brave journalists remain under investigation despite the complete lack of credible evidence against them. Beyond the clear injustice to these two journalists, this is a blatant attempt to stifle free expression and a clear warning to all remaining independent journalists in Cambodia.
“Cambodian authorities often allege that the large numbers of media outlets operating in Cambodia is evidence of press freedom, but this investigation makes a mockery of such claims. While pro-government journalists are rewarded, the independent media in Cambodia have been decimated in recent years. Authorities seem intent on keeping things that way, when they should be undoing this damage.
