Authorities in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh on Thursday arrested half a dozen youth activists taking part in a peaceful protest to demand the release of union leader Rong Chhun, as he appeared before the court for a preliminary hearing related to charges of “incitement.”
The six activists, all members of the civil society group Khmer Thavarak, were among some 30 peaceful protesters in front of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, calling on authorities to drop charges against the president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU) and set him free.
Rong Chhun was officially charged with “incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest” under Article 495 of Cambodia’s Penal Code and jailed at Prey Sar Prison in Phnom Penh on Aug 1, a day after his arrest for claiming the government has allowed Vietnam to encroach on farmland along their shared border. His arrest has prompted near daily protests.
In full: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/protest-08132020183055.html
