On August 26, 2025, online TV journalist Meas Sara was arrested after reporting on a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.
Sara was apprehended by provincial military police in O'Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province, and brought to the provincial court for questioning the same day. He was detained for two days before being released on the night of August 27 after reportedly acknowledging his wrongdoing. His release followed mounting public backlash, with many condemning the arrest as a violation of press freedom.
According to local rights group Licadho, Sara was charged with incitement, though no official court documents have been made public. CamboJA was unable to reach the journalist for confirmation. While no authorities have formally confirmed the charge, reports indicate that Sara has been placed under court supervision.
The arrest came shortly after the Ministry of Information revoked his media license on August 21.
On the day of his arrest, he livestreamed a video from Chouk Chhey village in Banteay Meanchey, where Cambodian villagers were protesting against Thai soldiers. Villagers alleged that the soldiers were attempting to erect barbed wire and fences on their homes and farmland.
This was not the first time the journalist livestreamed from the border area. On August 20, Sara had filmed an interview with a resident of Prek Chan village in O’Beichoan commune, O’Chrov district. The resident claimed that Thai soldiers expelled six Cambodian families and dismantled a Cambodian military outpost. The following day, the Ministry of Information accused Sara of spreading “incitement information” and officially revoked his license.
Sara told CamboJA on August 22 that, a day before his license was revoked, he had been summoned by the Ministry of Information to discuss journalistic ethics and professionalism regarding his reporting on the border dispute.