Cambodian Journalist Ouk Mao Arrested Amid Deforestation Row

[geovalin]

 

Cambodian environmental journalist was detained without a warrant on 16 May by plainclothes military officers, in what press freedom advocates are calling a grave escalation of state harassment against independent reporting.

 

The 49-year-old journalist for online outlet Eagle News was taken to the military police headquarters in Stung Treng province, just days before he was due to appear in court over an assault complaint—ironically filed by one of the men who attacked him in March.

 

Ouk Mao had been investigating illegal deforestation when he and two colleagues were allegedly assaulted by a group of three men, including a former police officer. Footage shared by the journalists showed the attackers initiating violence, yet no action was taken against them. 

 

Instead, the former officer filed a counter-complaint, and authorities reportedly told Ouk Mao to delete the evidence.

 

The arrest is part of a troubling pattern. Ouk Mao has faced at least 14 legal complaints—many linked to his reporting on environmental crimes and corruption. He was previously indicted in August 2024 for “incitement to violence” and, in a bizarre twist, for “deforestation” after publishing reports on illegal logging by Lin Vatey, a mining company with ties to the military.

 

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the arrest, calling it “arbitrary” and part of a “severe judicial harassment” campaign. “The Cambodian authorities are clearly attempting to shield illegal deforestation networks by targeting those who expose them,” RSF said, urging the government to release Ouk Mao immediately and guarantee protection for journalists.

 

The case has sparked wider fears about press freedom in Cambodia, where independent journalists investigating land issues and environmental abuses often face threats, surveillance, and prosecution.

 

With court proceedings looming and no clear legal basis for his detention, Ouk Mao’s case is shaping up to be a test of Cambodia’s commitment to transparency and the rule of law.

 

-2025-05-19