Two Cambodian journalists have been charged with treason after publishing a photograph allegedly showing unplaced landmines near the Thai border, sparking a diplomatic and human rights storm.

 

Porn Sopheap and Pheap Pheara, reporters for TSP 68 Online, were arrested on 31 July following a field assignment in Oddar Meanchey province. The image in question, taken near Ta Kwai Temple shortly after a ceasefire on 28 July, depicted the pair with Cambodian soldiers—Thai media later claimed the photo revealed PMN-2 anti-personnel mines in the background.

 

Cambodian authorities swiftly invoked Article 445 of the penal code, accusing the journalists of “supplying a foreign state with information prejudicial to national defence.” If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison. Both men remain in pre-trial detention at Siem Reap prison.

 

The case has drawn widespread attention, not least due to a video plea from Pheara’s wife, Om Sarath. In an emotional appeal, she apologised for her husband’s actions and asked for clemency from Prime Minister Hun Manet and Senate President Hun Sen, insisting the photo was taken without malicious intent.

 

Human rights groups, including LICADHO, have condemned the arrests as a threat to press freedom. The Royal Thai Army, meanwhile, has used the image to criticise Cambodia’s alleged breach of the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use of landmines. Thai officials claim the photo confirms recent violations along the border.

 

As tensions simmer, the incident raises pressing questions about journalistic freedom, military transparency, and the fragile peace between Cambodia and Thailand. With international scrutiny mounting, the fate of Sopheap and Pheara may well become a litmus test for Cambodia’s commitment to civil liberties in a region fraught with geopolitical sensitivities.

 

 

-2025-09-10

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