Cambodia fell four spots in a 2016 ranking of internet freedom across the world released yesterday, with the organization behind it tying the drop to a spate of arrests for nothing more than Facebook posts and a much-maligned telecommunications law that critics say gives the government too much leeway to investigate, monitor and prosecute. Freedom House, based in the United States, has consistently bumped Cambodia down each year since 2013. On a scale of zero to 100, with zero representing the most internet freedom and 100 the least, Cambodia notched a 52, up from 48 last year and 47 in 2014.
 

“Internet freedom has declined following a number of arrests for online speech and the passage of a problematic telecommunications law with inadequate protections for user privacy,” the group wrote. The group specifically pointed to the detention of 25-year-old university student Kong Raya, who was arrested, convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison due to a Facebook post in which he called for a “color revolution” in Cambodia in March.
 

Former opposition senator Hong Sok Hour was sentenced to eight years in prison last week for posting a video to his Facebook page depicting a fake border treaty between Vietnam and Cambodia last year. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy is facing similar charges for the same video, which was also posted to his Facebook page.

 

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Cambodia does better than Thailand !

Note Thailand is substantially below Cambodia. That case of mother arrested here for hitting "like" button on activist son's page comes to mind