US calls for release of award-winning Cambodian journalist

The U.S. is calling for the immediate release of a Cambodian journalist arrested on Monday and charged with incitement over recent social media posts.

Mech Dara, who won an award from the U.S. State Department last year for his reporting on cyber trafficking rings in Cambodia, was taken into custody by military police while traveling from Preah Sihanouk to Phnom Penh on Monday, his relative told local rights group Licadho.

He was reportedly charged on Tuesday after being accused by authorities of “wanting to cause social disorder or confusion," and sent to pre-trial detention in Kandal province near the capital Phnom Penh.

"We are deeply troubled by the arrest of internationally respected journalist Mech Dara and call for his release," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told The Hill on Tuesday.

"Dara, a leading voice in efforts to end human trafficking and online cyber scams in the Kingdom was recognized as a 2023 U.S. State Department TIP Hero award for his reporting, has long been an advocate for the freedom of expression, a right guaranteed in Cambodia’s constitution," the spokesperson added. "We encourage the authorities to engage with diverse voices and opinions and foster a free and independent press."

Cambodia's U.S. embassy did not return a request for comment on Mech Dara's arrest.

It's unclear what social media posts he's being charged over. However, prior to his arrest, Prey Veng provincial officials issued a statement complaining about a Facebook post suggesting the stairway to an iconic temple had been replaced by a mining quarry.

Licadho and dozens of other civil society groups released a statement Tuesday calling the charges a "clear attempt to silence a brave journalist whose investigative journalism has routinely called for accountability in cases of human rights violations."

"Dara is a frontline investigative journalist whose stories over the last decade have uncovered corruption, environmental destruction, and human trafficking at scam compounds across the country, and has consistently pushed for accountability and justice," they added. "The arrest of Dara is a clear attempt to intimidate and silence him and other journalists in a country where press freedoms are routinely curtailed."

The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 2 years.