NGO Activist Alex Gonzalez-Davidson Arrested in Cambodia

[CEOCambodiaNews]

Outspoken environmental activist Alex Gonzalez-Davidson has been arrested by Interior Ministry officers and taken in an unmarked car to an as yet undisclosed location, a rights group and witnesses have said.

Cheang Sophos, a senior investigator for local rights group Licadho, said that Gonzalez-Davidson was arrested at about 1:15pm at the Fish & Co restaurant in the riverside area of Phnom Penh.

The news was confirmed by a spokesman for the Community Legal Education Centre and a witness at the scene.

Prime Minister HE earlier in the day warned the defiant activist to leave Cambodia voluntarily or be blacklisted from the country.

Gonzalez-Davidson - who is facing deportation after the government refused to renew his visa - has vowed to remain in the country despite the fact that his visa expired on Friday.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh on Monday, the premier also warned NGOs not to rally behind the cause of the embattled co-founder of Mother Nature, lest they face problems of their own.

"Regarding Alex [Gonzalez-Davidson], let the Ministry of Interior take measures. It's not just foreigners, it's also Khmers that will be sentenced and other NGOs shouldn't express much," HE said.

"We'll let him stay until his visa is invalid. So you should leave first then ask for a new visa, it doesn't matter. [You] don't need to make this situation get worse. If we deport you, it means [you're] on the blacklist, that's it".

Gonzalez-Davidson is legally entitled to stay for 37 days after his visa expiration provided he pays related fines, but he has vowed to remain in Cambodia indefinitely.

A staunch advocate on environmental causes, particularly that of the threatened Areng Valley, Gonzalez-Davidson has previously told the Post he is certain that if he leaves the country to obtain a new visa, the government will not let him back in. His situation has attracted huge support on social media, where the fluent Khmer-speaking activist has become something of celebrity.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/activist-alex-arrested

[General Mackevili]

Facebook is going to be up in arms today...

[General Chatter]

This why Cambodia need s more experts in this field ....the message would be more readily received by the population/ politicians , instead of having a foreigner highlighting these points...Please Cambodian students' study a science....

[frank lee bent]

young cambodians are very aware of the environment- like so many things- they are aware of the status quo and want to change it.

a lot of discredit comes to internal politic movements where "outside agitators" are involved.

[Joon]

^ Exactly. There are many young, courageous Cambodians who try to make changes happen. However, there is just so much they can do at their levels, without putting their lives at risk.

Alex is a very dedicated, outspoken environment activist but his tactics use sarcasm (as evidenced by the tone in some of his videos, which makes them entertaining to watch and listen to but miss the mark with the Government and officials) and naming and shaming. But he's a foreign national, a status which protects him from physical violence. Chut Wutty didn't have that status to protect him.

[Samouth]

The official deportation letter of Alex.

[Cam Nivag]

young cambodians are very aware of the environment- like so many things- they are aware of the status quo and want to change it.

Then why do they throw plastic bags and trash out of bus windows?

[Samouth]

young cambodians are very aware of the environment- like so many things- they are aware of the status quo and want to change it.

Then why do they throw plastic bags and trash out of bus windows?

There are stupid people everywhere. Not all young Cambodian throw plastic bags and trash out of bus windows or on the ground.

[Samouth]

Gonzalez-Davidson to be deported (Phnom Penh Post)

Outspoken environmental activist Alex Gonzalez-Davidson will be deported tonight after he was arrested this afternoon along with a colleague from conservation group Mother Nature, officials have said.

Gonzalez-Davidson and San Mala of Mother Nature were detained by immigration officials at about 1.15pm in the Riverside area of Phnom Penh.

General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said Gonzalez-Davidson would be deported on Monday evening.

“We are not detaining him [for long], but just to force him out of the Kingdom. We have the right to send him to court and imprison him from one to three months, but we don’t do that … We will send him out tonight,” he said.

An immigration official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to talk to the media, said that the order to deport the conservation campaigner had come directly from Prime Minister HE following a speech he made on Monday morning.

“HE made the direct order to arrest Alex after his speech this morning and that, as this is a special case, he will likely be sent to the border soon,” the official said.

Sam Sophal, a UN worker who visited the detainees at the immigration department this afternoon, declined to comment.

HE earlier in the day warned the defiant activist to leave Cambodia voluntarily or face being blacklisted from the country.

Gonzalez-Davidson - who is facing deportation after the government refused to renew his visa - has vowed to remain in the country despite the fact that his visa expired on Friday.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh on Monday the premier also warned NGOs not to rally behind the cause of the embattled co-founder of Mother Nature, lest they face problems of their own.

"Regarding Alex [Gonzalez-Davidson], let the Ministry of Interior take measures. It's not just foreigners, it's also Khmers that will be sentenced and other NGOs shouldn't express much," HE said.

"We'll let him stay until his visa is invalid. So you should leave first then ask for a new visa, it doesn't matter. [You] don't need to make this situation get worse. If we deport you, it means [you're] in the blacklist, that's it".

Gonzalez-Davidson had planned to stay for at least 37 days after his visa expired on Friday and pay related fines, but had vowed to remain in Cambodia until he was forced to leave.

A staunch advocate on environmental causes, particularly that of the threatened Areng Valley, he has previously told the Post he is certain that if he leaves the country to obtain a new visa, the government will not let him back in. His situation has attracted huge support on social media, where the fluent Khmer-speaking activist has become something of celebrity.

On Monday morning Gonzalez-Davidson was unavailable to comment but Mala, a co-founder of Mother Nature who was also later arrested, said support for his colleague in the Cambodian community was absolute.

“HE is going against what the Khmer people want, as we know 100 per cent of Khmers want Alex to stay. [HE's actions are] opposite to Khmer people,” he said, pointing out that Alex has grown to be considered "Khmer" by his supporters.

"Our team won't let Alex leave this country as he is Khmer, lives here, can speak Khmer like a native and, most importantly, is the one who helps to protect the Areng Valley from illegal logging and the hydropower dam".

[frank lee bent]

perhaps the young cambodians i meet are better educated than the proletariat by virtue of their eng lamg abilities, at least as a rough metric.

i have seen them repeatedly shame their fellows who kill wildlife for example on fb.

their attitude is quite vehement.

public shaming and criticism is a powerful modifier among de youf.