Cambodian environmental group slams ‘politically motivated’ trial

By Kate Lamb

(Reuters) – Members of a Cambodian environmental group face up to 10 years in prison on charges that its founder says are politically motivated and part of a broader effort to combat criticism of the government – accusations that authorities deny.

Ten activists from the Mother Nature group were charged with conspiring against the government, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Three people were also charged with violating Cambodia’s “lese majeste” laws, which are punishable by up to five years in prison, and a court verdict is expected on Tuesday.

The proceedings come amid deepening concerns about political freedom in Cambodia under Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took power last year after decades of rule by his father, Hun Sen. Under Hun Sen, the opposition was almost completely crushed, independent media closed, and dozens of activists imprisoned.

Mother Nature founder Alejandro Gonzales-Davidson, who was tried in absentia, criticized the trial.

“It’s a kangaroo trial,” he said, adding that his lawyer said there was no evidence to support the allegations.

Pen Bona, a spokesman for the Cambodian government, denied that the group was targeted because of its environmental work or that the accusations were politically motivated.

“The government has never taken action against those who criticize. The government only takes action against those who commit crimes,” he said.

Founded in 2013 by Spanish national Gonzales-Davidson, Mother Nature has long campaigned against environmental destruction in Cambodia, drawing attention to deforestation, illegal sand mining and corruption in development projects.

Three activists involved in the trial were previously imprisoned on charges of incitement, but were later released.

The latest allegations had been dormant since 2020, but they resurfaced online in May, said Gonzalez-Davidson, who was deported nearly a decade ago and is barred from re-entering the country.

He added that the charges of conspiracy against the state have not been explained in court, but three members of the group were arrested after documenting suspicions of pollution entering the Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh in 2021.

The lèse-majesté allegations relate to a leaked internal Zoom meeting about political cartoons.

Activists deny any wrongdoing, while Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the government to drop the case, which it says is aimed at “silencing criticism of government policies.”

“Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, like his father Hun Sen, appears intent on imprisoning environmental activists rather than recognizing their contribution to Cambodian society,” said Bryony Lau of HRW.

(Editing by Ed Davies and Lincoln Feast.)