lese majeste
A Mother Nature Cambodia activist in disguise while filming a video released in November 2020 (Mother Nature Cambodia)

Interior Ministry Defends Arrests of Mother Nature Activists

Mother Nature activists were “gathering strength for an uprising” as evidenced by a Zoom conference where they insulted government leaders and the king, while three arrested activists acknowledged they wanted people to rise up, the Interior Ministry said.

Mother Nature activist Sun Ratha stands in front of a pile of trash on the beach in Sihanoukville in a screenshot from a video posted to Facebook on January 24, 2020.

Mother Nature Arrests Criticized, Gov’t-Linked Media Posts ‘Evidence’

International rights groups and embassies raised concerns over the recent arrests of Mother Nature environmentalists, as a government-aligned media outlet posted alleged evidence of a Zoom meeting where the activists appear to discuss a cartoon sketch of Prime Minister Hun Sen wearing a crown.