{"id":4233,"date":"2020-09-18T21:15:31","date_gmt":"2020-09-18T21:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markscogan.com\/?p=4233"},"modified":"2020-12-18T02:00:21","modified_gmt":"2020-12-18T02:00:21","slug":"4233","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"466\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?resize=970%2C466\" alt=\"Cambodia\" class=\"wp-image-4236\"\/><figcaption>The authoritarian regime of Hun Sen has recently arrested prominent labor and environmental activists.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\"><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">A<\/span> string of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rfa.org\/english\/news\/cambodia\/protest-08132020183055.html\">recent arrests of activists<\/a> by Cambodian authorities has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopoliticalmonitor.com\/tag\/human-rights\/\">human rights<\/a> groups and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopoliticalmonitor.com\/tag\/united-nations\/\">United Nations<\/a> calling for restraint and the right to free expression. The conviction of a former official in the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was the latest in a long series of convictions or detentions. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.asahi.com\/ajw\/articles\/13715586\">Pen Mom was found guilty of conspiring with Sam Rainsy<\/a>, the exiled opposition party leader, to overthrow the government of Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than 35 years. Several others have been arrested or detained, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fidh.org\/en\/issues\/human-rights-defenders\/cambodia-arbitrary-arrest-of-three-mother-nature-activists\">members of an environmental group<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cambodianess.com\/article\/a-youth-leader-and-a-buddhist-monk-are-arrested-and-charged-over-plans-to-hold-a-demonstration\">a Buddhist monk<\/a>, and a Cambodian rapper.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Khmer nationalism is intensified by a longstanding border dispute with Vietnam, while fear of a civil society uprising is the primary concern for the Hun Sen regime. The arrests, detentions, and convictions began in late July when <a href=\"https:\/\/cambodianess.com\/article\/rong-chhun-is-arrested-and-taken-into-custody-on-july-31\">Rong Chhun<\/a>, the President of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, accused the government of ceding land to Vietnam by installing a border marker in Tbong Khmum, which he claimed led to a loss of land and livelihoods for farmers along the border. Cambodian authorities accused Chhun of spreading misinformation and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/jp.reuters.com\/article\/us-cambodia-activist-idUSKBN24Z16P\">incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest.<\/a>\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopoliticalmonitor.com\/whats-behind-the-recent-arrests-of-cambodian-activists\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/gpm-logo.png?resize=290%2C68\" alt=\"Geopolitical Monitor\" class=\"wp-image-4154\" width=\"290\" height=\"68\"\/><\/a><figcaption>As featured in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopoliticalmonitor.com\/whats-behind-the-recent-arrests-of-cambodian-activists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Geopolitical Monitor<\/a><\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In August, Cambodia distributed a new map of the border with Vietnam and submitted it to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopoliticalmonitor.com\/tag\/united-nations\/\">United Nations<\/a> for recognition, in spite of activist warnings and protests suggesting Cambodia was ceding 3,000 hectares of territory to Hanoi. At the time of release, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh said that activists who criticize the regime\u2019s handling of the border issue were extremists and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rfa.org\/english\/news\/cambodia\/border-08272020172606.html\">\u201cwill not be forgiven\u201d for making public statements<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cambodia\u2019s 1,200-kilometer border with Vietnam is a historic and hypersensitive issue, as the Cambodian population casts blame on Hanoi for decades of strife\u2014including war in 1978 that did not see Vietnamese troops exit Cambodia until 1989\u2014as well as today\u2019s perceived encroachment. Twenty percent of the expansive border between the two countries is vaguely defined. In 2006, Vietnam and Cambodia began demarcation proceedings, but the reaction to it has led to intense animosity and even violence. Rainsy, then the leader of the Sam Rainsy Party, led a rally in 2009 to dig up border markers that he claimed were placed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phnompenhpost.com\/national\/sam-rainsy-sentenced-absentia\">in a Cambodian rice field in Svay Rieng province<\/a>. Rainsy was soon charged with racial incitement, and while in exile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.voanews.com\/east-asia\/cambodian-court-rejects-opposition-leaders-final-appeal\">convicted in absentia<\/a>. Other incidents followed. In June 2015, approximately 250 activists, including those from the CNRP, entered the Vietnamese province of Long Am to inspect the border. In clashes with locals trying to stop the inspection, <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/Politics\/Border-incident-with-Vietnam-illustrates-Cambodia-s-dilemma\">seven Vietnamese were wounded<\/a>. While the demarcation issue affects the livelihoods of local farmers and border residents, Hun Sen has also made the most of opportunities to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phnompenhpost.com\/national\/pm-hun-sen-questions-vietnams-loyalty-accuses-sam-rainsy-treason\">use harsher rhetoric against Vietnam<\/a>. When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phnompenhpost.com\/national\/cnrp-clings-anti-vietnamese-rhetoric\">nationalistic rhetoric<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2016\/09\/cambodias-anti-vietnam-obsession\/\">anti-Vietnamese sentiment<\/a> increased support for the CNRP, the regime quickly cracked down on its opposition ahead of the 2018 general elections. Without a significant opposition party to threaten him, Hun Sen has noticeably softened his tone toward Hanoi.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Land rights remain sensitive to Cambodians, dating back to the mid-1970s, when the Khmer Rouge banned the ownership of private property. As many as 70 percent of Cambodians lost their livelihoods and access to land, particularly farmers when the Khmer Rouge destroyed the deeds to their property. In contemporary Cambodia, people have become victims of land-grabbing, as the demand for land increases with livelihood insecurities. Loggers have recently <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2020\/08\/under-cover-of-covid-19-loggers-plunder-cambodian-wildlife-sanctuary\/\">plundered a Cambodian wildlife sanctuary<\/a>, and a Vietnamese company has been <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2020\/06\/vietnamese-agribusiness-firm-hagl-accused-of-clearing-indigenous-land-in-cambodia\/\">accused of clearing indigenous land<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further complicating matters is a surge in bilateral trade, which increased to $3.8 billion in 2017 and $4.7 billion in 2018. Vietnam has become Cambodia\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/wits.worldbank.org\/countrysnapshot\/en\/KHM\">third-largest trading partner<\/a>, behind only China and Thailand. There have also been areas of mutual cooperation and investment, such as the Vietnamese construction of an administrative building inside the Cambodian National Assembly and the funding of scholarships to Cambodian nationals. Hanoi also invested in <a href=\"https:\/\/english.cambodiadaily.com\/news\/vietnamese-funded-hospital-opens-in-january-46463\/\">high-quality hospitals<\/a> and schools in Phnom Penh. In 2018, Cambodia and Vietnam signed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/thailand\/general\/1541530\/cambodia-vietnam-move-to-boost-border-trade\">agreement to boost bilateral trade to $5 billion<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Khmer national identity was a motivating factor in the arrest of rapper Kea Sokun, charged with incitement under Articles 494 and 495 of the Cambodian Criminal Code. His <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en_us\/article\/m7jdjy\/cambodian-rapper-among-those-arrested-in-crackdown-on-youth-critics\">release of a song entitled, \u201cDey Khmer\u201d <\/a>(Khmer Land) received more than 1.3 million views on YouTube before being removed under suspicious circumstances. The Hun Sen regime has also targeted other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopoliticalmonitor.com\/tag\/human-rights\/\">human rights<\/a> activists such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2020\/08\/23\/asia-pacific\/facebook-disinformation-buddhist-monk-cambodia\/\">Luon Sovath<\/a>, who fled to Switzerland after videos appeared on Facebook claiming he had slept with three sisters and their mother, an accusation that was proven to be spread by Cambodian government employees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hun Sen regime has also used its controversial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.licadho-cambodia.org\/pressrelease.php?perm=388\">NGO law <\/a>to target environmental groups. The Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations (LANGO), has been recently used to crackdown Mother Nature Cambodia, an environmental group. Mother Nature has accused the government of hijacking the group\u2019s Facebook page and its founder, Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson, was notified that his administrative access to the page was removed one day after<a href=\"https:\/\/vodenglish.news\/three-mother-nature-activists-arrested-as-one-woman-march-shut-down-mid-production\/\"> three of their activists were arrested while creating a campaign video<\/a> calling for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rfa.org\/english\/news\/cambodia\/lake-07302020152159.html\">conservation of Boeung Tamok Lake<\/a>, near the capital of Phnom Penh. A spokesperson for the government said that the bulk of the criticism, either from Mother Nature, Khmer Thavarak, a former member of the CNRP or other activists, was the product of an overseas network backed by foreign nationals designed \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/pmn\/news-pmn\/crime-pmn\/cambodia-jails-activist-for-pm-overthrow-plot-as-crackdown-widens\">to create social unrest and move to topple the elected government<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a number of takeaways from these recent events. First, the absence of a major opposition party in Cambodia has permitted the government to act in an aggressive fashion, with virtually no pressure from ASEAN states <a href=\"https:\/\/www.voacambodia.com\/a\/un-eu-call-for-government-to-cease-escalating-attacks-on-activists\/5580808.html\">or the international community<\/a>.&nbsp; It used COVID-19 earlier this year as an excuse to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/world\/articles\/2020-03-24\/cambodia-uses-coronavirus-crisis-to-arrest-17-critics-rights-group-says\">lock up a 14-year old girl<\/a> for voicing her concerns about the government\u2019s response. It has learned in the past that political interference has paid huge dividends for the ruling Cambodian People\u2019s Party (CPP). Prior to the interference, the CNRP had made significant gains, both in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Aurel_Croissant2\/publication\/323364440_Cambodia_in_2017_Descending_into_Dictatorship\/links\/5a9d000b45851586a2ae7663\/Cambodia-in-2017-Descending-into-Dictatorship.pdf\">commune elections<\/a> and as a legitimate national opposition party. The CPP now controls all 125 seats in the national Parliament. Second, both sides of the discussion have in the past used nationalistic undertones to amplify messages. Rainsy and CNRP members have used demarcation issues to vilify Hun Sen as a puppet of Hanoi and have used pejoratives like \u201c<em>youn<\/em>\u201d to describe Vietnamese people. Nationalists turned on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopoliticalmonitor.com\/tag\/human-rights\/\">human rights<\/a> activist Ou Virak <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omct.org\/human-rights-defenders\/urgent-interventions\/cambodia\/2014\/01\/d22517\/\">after a 2013 speech<\/a> where he urged the CNRP to stop its harassment of the Vietnamese.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reaction to Cambodia\u2019s persecution of activists must be condemned, but it is also important to recognize its source\u2014that Cambodians are historically anxious over Vietnam\u2019s influence over in Cambodian affairs. Civil society groups have little trust in Hun Sen, who has limited their mobility and monitored their activities. In the meantime, Cambodia is stuck in a conundrum. Nationalism and fear of foreign interference will continue to drive sentiments in Khmer society, but lasting changes will likely not take place until open communication and free expression are permitted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A string of recent arrests of activists by Cambodian authorities has human rights groups and the United Nations calling for restraint and the right to free expression. The conviction of a former official in the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was the latest in a long series of convictions or detentions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[70,16,41,71,28,40],"class_list":["post-4233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cambodia","tag-activists","tag-cambodia","tag-cnrp","tag-human-rights","tag-hun-sen","tag-sam-rainsy"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists? &#8211; Mark S. Cogan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists? &#8211; Mark S. Cogan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A string of recent arrests of activists by Cambodian authorities has human rights groups and the United Nations calling for restraint and the right to free expression. The conviction of a former official in the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was the latest in a long series of convictions or detentions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark S. Cogan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-09-18T21:15:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-12-18T02:00:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"970\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"466\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark Cogan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@markscogan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@markscogan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark Cogan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mark Cogan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/68dc452e761dd9878f4a2ea3276bf766\"},\"headline\":\"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists?\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-09-18T21:15:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-18T02:00:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1215,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/68dc452e761dd9878f4a2ea3276bf766\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/markscogan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"activists\",\"Cambodia\",\"CNRP\",\"human rights\",\"Hun Sen\",\"Sam Rainsy\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Cambodia\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/\",\"name\":\"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists? &#8211; Mark S. Cogan\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/markscogan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-09-18T21:15:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-18T02:00:21+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/markscogan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/markscogan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1\",\"width\":970,\"height\":466,\"caption\":\"The authoritarian regime of Hun Sen has recently arrested prominent labor and environmental activists.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/index.php\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/18\\\/4233\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mark S. Cogan, Associate Professor\",\"description\":\"Associate Professor, Peace and Conflict Studies\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/68dc452e761dd9878f4a2ea3276bf766\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/68dc452e761dd9878f4a2ea3276bf766\",\"name\":\"Mark Cogan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i1.wp.com\\\/markscogan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/MarkCogan-square-2.jpg?fit=2120%2C2121&ssl=1\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i1.wp.com\\\/markscogan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/MarkCogan-square-2.jpg?fit=2120%2C2121&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i1.wp.com\\\/markscogan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/MarkCogan-square-2.jpg?fit=2120%2C2121&ssl=1\",\"width\":2120,\"height\":2121,\"caption\":\"Mark Cogan\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i1.wp.com\\\/markscogan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/09\\\/MarkCogan-square-2.jpg?fit=2120%2C2121&ssl=1\"},\"description\":\"Mark S. Cogan is an Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/markscogan.com\",\"instagram.com\\\/polisci03\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/markscogan\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/markscogan\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists? &#8211; Mark S. Cogan","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists? &#8211; Mark S. Cogan","og_description":"A string of recent arrests of activists by Cambodian authorities has human rights groups and the United Nations calling for restraint and the right to free expression. The conviction of a former official in the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was the latest in a long series of convictions or detentions.","og_url":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/","og_site_name":"Mark S. Cogan","article_published_time":"2020-09-18T21:15:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-12-18T02:00:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":970,"height":466,"url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Mark Cogan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@markscogan","twitter_site":"@markscogan","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mark Cogan","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/"},"author":{"name":"Mark Cogan","@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/68dc452e761dd9878f4a2ea3276bf766"},"headline":"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists?","datePublished":"2020-09-18T21:15:31+00:00","dateModified":"2020-12-18T02:00:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/"},"wordCount":1215,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/68dc452e761dd9878f4a2ea3276bf766"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1","keywords":["activists","Cambodia","CNRP","human rights","Hun Sen","Sam Rainsy"],"articleSection":["Cambodia"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/","url":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/","name":"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists? &#8211; Mark S. Cogan","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1","datePublished":"2020-09-18T21:15:31+00:00","dateModified":"2020-12-18T02:00:21+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1","width":970,"height":466,"caption":"The authoritarian regime of Hun Sen has recently arrested prominent labor and environmental activists."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/18\/4233\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What\u2019s Behind the Recent Arrests of Cambodian Activists?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/","name":"Mark S. Cogan, Associate Professor","description":"Associate Professor, Peace and Conflict Studies","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/68dc452e761dd9878f4a2ea3276bf766"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/68dc452e761dd9878f4a2ea3276bf766","name":"Mark Cogan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/MarkCogan-square-2.jpg?fit=2120%2C2121&ssl=1","url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/MarkCogan-square-2.jpg?fit=2120%2C2121&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/MarkCogan-square-2.jpg?fit=2120%2C2121&ssl=1","width":2120,"height":2121,"caption":"Mark Cogan"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/MarkCogan-square-2.jpg?fit=2120%2C2121&ssl=1"},"description":"Mark S. Cogan is an Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.","sameAs":["http:\/\/markscogan.com","instagram.com\/polisci03","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/markscogan\/","https:\/\/x.com\/markscogan"]}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/markscogan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Webp.net-resizeimage-13.jpg?fit=970%2C466&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4233"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4497,"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4233\/revisions\/4497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markscogan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}