Mother Nature
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.

Jailed Environmentalists Further Charged With Plotting, Insulting King

Three Mother Nature environmentalists arrested last year and already serving jail terms for incitement have been handed two further charges, insulting the king and plotting, which carry maximum jail sentences of five and 10 years respectively, their lawyer said.

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.

Sun Ratha, left, and Yim Leanghy sit inside a car in a photo posted to Mother Nature Cambodia's Facebook page on June 20, 2021.

Mother Nature Activists Charged for Alleged Plotting, Insulting King

Three Mother Nature environmentalists were charged on Monday and placed in pretrial detention at Phnom Penh’s Prey Sar prison, as the mother of one of the activists said she was in shock but buoyed by support on social media, including from celebrities.