The OPCC calls for the immediate release of environmental journalist Ouk Mao and urges the government to drop all charges against him.
On May 16 in Stung Treng province. Ouk Mao, whose reporting on illegal logging and environmental destruction has made him the target of repeated legal and physical harassment, was taken from his home by plainclothes officers without a warrant and is currently being detained.
Mao faces ongoing judicial persecution for his work exposing deforestation linked to powerful interests, including charges of defamation, incitement, and allegedly clearing state forest—despite his well-documented role as a defender of Cambodia’s environment. His arrest follows widely circulated interviews and international reporting that highlighted the threats he faces.
The OPCC joins CamboJA, Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and other press freedom advocates in calling for Mao’s immediate release and an end to the harassment of journalists reporting on environmental and human rights issues.
Silencing journalists through arbitrary arrest and intimidation undermines Cambodia’s commitments to press freedom and democracy.
