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Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 9:15 am
by CEOCambodiaNews
26 January 2018
Two activists from the conservation group Mother Nature were found guilty today of “incitement to commit a felony” and making unauthorised recordings of a person “in a private place” by the Koh Kong Provincial Court for their work documenting alleged sand transportation off the coast.

Hun Vannak, 35, and Dem Kundy, 21, were handed a one-year prison sentence, with seven months suspended, and are expected to be released on February 13, according to their lawyer Sam Chamroeun. They have already served nearly four and a half months in prison. They were also each fined 1 million riel (about $250).

The pair was arrested in September after photographing boats they suspected were carrying silica sand off the coast of a special economic zone belonging to ruling party Senator Ly Yong Phat. The original complaint against them was filed by the chief of staff of Yong Phat’s LYP Group, Chan Nakry.

Though they were taking photographs from their own boat on the open water about one kilometre from the alleged sand-bearing vessel, Vannak and Kundy were found guilty of making recordings of a person on private property...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/b ... d-sentence

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:59 am
by CEOCambodiaNews
Cambodia: Quash convictions against environmental activists
26 January 2018, 11:18 UTC

- Reacting to today’s verdict sentencing two environmental activists affiliated with the NGO Mother Nature to prison for one year plus fines, James Gomez, Amnesty International’s Southeast Asia and Pacific Director, said:

“This is a farcical sentence that must be overturned immediately. The two Mother Nature activists have done nothing but peacefully campaigned for the protection of Cambodia’s environment and should have never been charged in the first place. Instead of going after the messenger, the authorities should do more to curb the illegal trade in natural resources that Hun Vannak and Doem Kundy activists were trying to expose...
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/ ... activists/

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:11 pm
by CEOCambodiaNews
Cambodia Jails Environmental Activists For Photographing Boat
26 Jan, 2018
Cambodia’s human rights record and justice system suffered another blow today, January 26, when two environmental activists were jailed for taking a photograph of a boat on the ocean.
Image
Koh Kong Provincial Court sentenced Mother Nature activists Dem Kundy and Hun Vannak to one year in prison and fined the pair Rl1 million (about US$250) each, after finding the pair guilty of ‘violating privacy’ and ‘incitement to commit a felony’. Seven months of the jail term was suspended.

Dem and Hun were arrested on September 12, 2017 while at sea after filming boats suspected of being involved in the transportation of illegally dredged silica sand. The two environmental activists have been held in pre-trial detention since their arrest.
https://aecnewstoday.com/2018/cambodia- ... hing-boat/

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 8:03 pm
by Duncan
I'm speechless, then I remind myself this is the KOW.

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 9:17 pm
by cptrelentless
They clearly shouldn't have been in a walled off bit of the ocean. They should request to see the title.

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 12:15 am
by Arget
I read these stories and I do wonder what they hope to achieve by pissing off the population. Are they trying to goad someone into having a crack at them so they can show the forces they can unleash or they haven't thought that far ahead yet.
I know when to have opinions in public and these days it is "never".

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:10 am
by Citizen 1010
Phnom Penh Post clearly doesn't understand what a suspended sentence is.

AEC News seems to wrap things up nicely. Just saw they have a news roundup each morning also. Will have to bookmark them


"It is unclear whose privacy the two environmental activists were convicted of violating". Boatymacboatface maybe?

‘Incitement’ has become a popular charge to levy against activists, unionists, and those on the wrong side of the Cambodia political fence in recent times, along with the offence of ‘treason’, or ‘espionage’. Hmmm

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:06 pm
by CEOCambodiaNews
The location in the ocean where the two suspects were filming “belonged to the company”.
26 Jan, 2018
[Lawyer of the accused] Mr. Chamroeun also took aim at LYP Group’s Chief of Staff Chan Nakry, who brought the initial complaint against the Mother Nature duo. Chamroeun said he was not a victim, was absent from the trial, and had no right to bring the case because there was no letter from the company confirming Nakry as their representative.

Reached yesterday, Nakry said he was too busy to attend the proceedings and referred questions to his lawyer, Chun Socheat. Socheat would only say that the location in the ocean where the two suspects were filming “belonged to the company”.
https://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/ ... nment.html

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:53 pm
by cptrelentless
Citizen 1010 wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:10 am Phnom Penh Post clearly doesn't understand what a suspended sentence is.

AEC News seems to wrap things up nicely. Just saw they have a news roundup each morning also. Will have to bookmark them


"It is unclear whose privacy the two environmental activists were convicted of violating". Boatymacboatface maybe?

‘Incitement’ has become a popular charge to levy against activists, unionists, and those on the wrong side of the Cambodia political fence in recent times, along with the offence of ‘treason’, or ‘espionage’. Hmmm
Wasn't a suspended sentence, it was time served on remand.

Re: Mother Nature activists found guilty

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:24 am
by CEOCambodiaNews
Environmentalists set to be released from jail
12 February 2018
Two Mother Nature activists, who were convicted by the Koh Kong provincial court on charges of incitement to commit a felony and violation of privacy, may be released on Tuesday as they have already served the five-month jail term imposed by the court.

The two environmental activists, Hun Vannak and Doem Kundy, are being detained in Prek Svay prison in Koh Kong province on charges of violation of privacy.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108149/en ... ased-jail/