Relatives arrested by authorities in The Mountains demand relevant authorities release family

Sem Diya, 43, a publisher of Battambang Post was arrested on 10 July 2022, after he livestreamed on his Facebook page from a protest in Phnom Prek district, Battambang province. He was accused of incitement to commit a crime. Sem Diya’s wife told RFA that the arrest is unfair to her husband as he did not commit any wrongdoing. She said her husband was arrested after filming and posting a video of a protest urging Cambodian authorities to stop fining Thai trucks transporting corn. Farmers were worried the authorities’ action would prevent Thai merchants from buying their crops. He was released on 21 October 2022 after he was in prison for over three months. The Battambang provincial court sentenced him and two protesters to one year in prison on charges of incitement to commit crimes, but suspended the remainder of their sentences.