The European Union on Friday expressed serious concern over the recent spate of arrests and detentions of youth and rights advocates, linked to a government crackdown on protests emanating from the arrest of trade unionist Rong Chhun.
Since late July, when Rong Chhun was arrested, nearly two dozen activists have been arrested, and around a dozen have been charged with incitement or attempts to cause social chaos. These arrests have mainly targeted youth-led groups like Khmer Thavrak, Mother Nature, and the Khmer Student Intellectual League Association (KSILA).
The Interior Ministry has pointed to the controversial Law on NGOs and Associations to label Khmer Thavarak and Mother Nature Cambodia as “illegal” groups and called on citizens to not be involved with the youth activism groups.
