PHNOM PENH: A Cambodian court yesterday sentenced three female land rights activists and a defrocked monk to one year in prison each after they protested against the sentencing of seven fellow demonstrators the day before.
The three women and the former Buddhist monk were arrested on Tuesday after they gathered outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court to demand the release of the seven activists — including a 75-year-old woman — who were jailed for blocking traffic during a protest.
“The three women and the monk were sentenced to one year in prison each on charge of aggravating circumstances of rebellions against public officials,” said Am Sam Ath of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights.
They were also fined $500 each, he said.
The activists are from the few dozen families that continue to live in the Boeung Kak community — an area once known for its 130 hectare lake until it was filled with sand in 2010 to make way for a private development.
AFP
