Cambodia Clamps Down on Royal Critics
Lese majeste punishment in ASEAN compliments of ASEAN Today.
Cambodia has charged at least four anti-monarchists in a spree of lese-majeste crackdown in a span of six months, signaling its resolve to suppress royal critics.
Royal defamation law has been in effect since March, three months ahead of a general election. According to the Cambodian Criminal Code, royal defamation comprises “words, gestures, writings, sketches or objects which undermine the dignity of a person.” Under the law, the offender is liable to a one- to five-year jail term and up to 500 dollars in fines, a large amount for Cambodians.
The first arrest came in May. Kheang Navy, a 50-year-old teacher, was arrested under the lese-majeste law for a Facebook post which accused the king of colluding with the government to ban the country’s major opposition party.
In the same month, a 70-year-old Siem Riep barber was charged with royal defamation for sharing a Facebook post “deemed insulting to the king.” The barber admitted to sharing the post, but stated that he did so out of anger. The shared post was a picture of the Cambodian first family with King Sihamoni in a car along with a video of agitated villagers after a local flood triggered travel restriction, comparing King Sihamoni unfavorably to his predecessors.
The third arrest followed in June, when the police arrested a man for three Facebook posts which were found to “insult and threaten the king.” Phnom Penh Post, a local news source, reported that “one post showed a 500 riel note with King Norodom Sihamoni’s picture. Another showed a picture of drugs while a third showed a shot of the King and his mother.” The police declined to give comments. The suspect was put in pretrial detention.
The most recent conviction emerged as Siem Riep court jailed a 70-year-old barber over a Facebook post insulting the Cambodian king. Similar to the second incident, the post contained pictures of the royal family and the Prime Minister in a car along with travel restricted villagers. The convict is to serve a 7-month reduced sentence.
UN officials commented in February that lese majeste law contradicts Cambodia’s international human rights obligation, as it restricts and criminalizes freedom of speech. Convictions were still made after the general election in July, in which Hun Sen secured another victory after 33 consecutive years in power.