A chicken farmer is out of jail after serving 18 months for an online “chicken coop” commentary mimicking Covid-19 orders, and now plans to join the opposition Candlelight Party to push for better protection of rights.
Ny Nak, 43, told VOD on Monday that he had been released on Friday around 5 p.m. after serving his sentence for public insult and incitement.
In December 2020, Nak had posted on Facebook: “I have prepared a letter and documents to request putting my chicken coop in a state of emergency. The reason is that the flu virus is spreading on the farm. I didn’t want it to reach this point, because it will seriously damage the economy of the chickens. I hope all the chickens will be able to wear masks and sleep in cages, and do not go out if it is not needed.”
Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin said at the time that the post was “not an expression of a viewpoint” and showed “ill-intention.”
Nak said on Monday that he planned to join the Candlelight Party and was in informal talks with party leadership.
“After the CNRP has been dissolved, the Candlelight Party is one of the parties that have gained support, and I don’t want to participate in any small party that has no ability to compete and win against other parties,” Nak said. The Candlelight Party last week won the second-most votes in the June 5 commune election, but won only four out of 1,652 communes according to preliminary results.
Nak previously supported the Sam Rainsy Party, which has been renamed as Candlelight, he said.
Asked whether he wanted to stand as a lawmaker candidate in next year’s national election, he said he could not yet say.
“We will participate and do whatever it takes to gather votes to give our party the opportunity to win. If the party’s leaders are happy and see my virtues and assign me to work in any field, I will be happy to accept it.”
He said at the moment, his first priority was restoring his agriculture businesses in sausages and honey, and helping farmer communities across the country with technical work, including finding markets and sharing new farming methods.
Nak added that he believed his imprisonment was a violation of his freedom of expression, and that the court did not work based on its own judgment.
“I will demand, through participation in politics, a change in our society to turn toward a proper respect of rights.”
