Environmental journalist Uk Mao, who is reportedly facing multiple legal cases, was arrested and detained on May 16, 2025. He was charged with incitement and public defamation.
The provincial coordinator for the human rights group ADHOC in Stung Treng confirmed the arrest but said the reason behind it remains unknown.
Mao’s wife told CamboJA that he was taken from their home around noon by two men, one of whom appeared to be a plainclothes officer. She said they did not present a warrant or offer any explanation. According to her, the men handcuffed Mao and told him, “Their boss wanted to speak to him about a piece of land.”
Later that same day, Mao was placed in pretrial detention at the Stung Treng provincial prison.
On March 24, 2025, Mao—who reports for Intri Plus News—was physically assaulted by three individuals, reportedly former provincial officials. The attack left him with minor facial injuries and resulted in the destruction of his smartphone.
Speaking to CamboJA at the time, Mao said he had been investigating reports from local villagers about illegal deforestation in the Prey Lang community. At around 2:00 p.m., after photographing the site, he was stopped on his way home by three men who demanded he delete the images. When he refused, one of the men punched him and smashed his phone.
Mao filed a complaint with district police on March 26, but was told that a separate complaint had also been filed against him. Authorities declined to identify the complainant.
On April 24, the Stung Treng Provincial Court summoned Mao to appear on May 20 in connection with the alleged violence on March 24. Prior to his arrest, Mao told CamboJA he was facing as many as 15 legal cases.