A Cambodian man who criticized the country’s longtime ruling party on Facebook over its inability to prevent illegal immigration from Vietnam and drug use was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison.
Kang Saran told Radio Free Asia that he was convicted by the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court on charges of defamation, incitement and insulting the king.
“I ask the Royal Government or government leaders to fully respect the rights and freedoms of the people and the right to life and movement. Don’t just send [people] to go to Prey Sar prison like this,” he told RFA.
“Why can’t people express their opinions? Why do you always use arrests and charges like this, even though I have no political affiliation at all?” he said, addressing his comments toward court officials across Cambodia who have charged numerous government critics in recent years.
Kang Saran’s remarks about the Cambodian People’s Party came in a Facebook live video on July 2, just three weeks before the CPP won a sweeping victory in the general election.
In the video, he asked whether the CPP would do anything after the election to stop the flow of Vietnamese immigrants into the country – a sensitive political issue in Cambodia for many years.
He also noted that drug use, government corruption and economic insecurity remain society-wide problems in the country.
Banteay Meanchey authorities arrested Kang Saran within hours and held him for 10 days. He was released on bail on July 11.
Phon Chhin, the Banteay Meanchey coordinator for human rights group Licadho, said the court should carefully consider whether Kang Saran should be sent to prison to serve his sentence.
“Kang Saran tried to defend himself in court proceedings,” he said. “He asserted that he had no such intention as charged.”
Kang Saran said he was not immediately re-arrested following Wednesday’s verdict. He told RFA he has no plans to flee the country and insisted that he did nothing wrong in making the comments.
RFA wasn’t able to contact Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court spokesman Roeun Lina on Wednesday to ask about the case.
Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.