NEW CAMPAIGN: Help us free Mech Dara
By Krysta Bisnauth, Freedom United
“Every newsroom I work in gets silenced.” — Mech Dara[1]
| Mech Dara, the award-winning Cambodian journalist who exposed cyber slavery[2] and corruption in Cambodia, has been arrested by local police this week. Dara spearheaded investigations and reporting on cyberscam compounds in the Cambodian jungles. Compounds that are usually staffed by trafficked workers being forced to scam under threat of violence. Now the government is trying to silence him. |
| Act now |
| Dara is being charged over five social media posts which the government claims could “incite social unrest”.[3] But the vague charges of incitement are frequently used in Cambodia against government critics. Rights groups speculate that Cambodia’s authoritarian leader, Hun Sen, is behind Dara’s arrest. Sen has a pattern of using arrests to shut down voices he perceives as a threat to his almost 40-year rule.[4] This is unacceptable! |
| Take a stand |
| The government has been chasing Dara for years,[5] attempting to silence his reporting on important issues like modern slavery. Two independent publications Dara worked for were closed by authorities. Now they are coming after individuals like Dara, who refuse to stop reporting on corruption and criminal behavior in Cambodia. The charges mean he is facing up to two years in jail. Calling out criminal behavior and modern slavery shouldn’t cost someone else their freedom. Stand with us and call for Mech Dara’s immediate release! |
| In solidarity,Krysta and the team that supports the Freedom United community |
| Krysta Bisnauth Advocacy Manager, Freedom United |
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64634707
[2] https://vodenglish.news/echoes-of-sihanoukville-troubles-in-cambodian-border-town/
[3] https://www.npr.org/2024/10/02/nx-s1-5136527/cambodian-reporter-charged-over-online-posts
[4] https://www.npr.org/2024/10/02/nx-s1-5136527/cambodian-reporter-charged-over-online-posts
