A Cambodian opposition senator also faces up to 17 years in jail after a court charged him for posting a disputed document on Facebook about the border with Vietnam.
Cambodia jails student over Facebook call to ‘change the vulgar regime’
Independent | 15 March 2016
'There’s nothing to be surprised about. This is how the court
works' the student told reporters as he left the courthouse
A Cambodian university student has been jailed for 18 months
for asking the public to join his “colour revolution” and inciting
crimes in an anti-government Facebook post.
The man, identified as 24-year-old Kong Raya, is the first Cambodian
convicted of using social media to attack Prime Minister’s Hun Sen’s
government, who has issued warnings that online critics could be traced
and arrested in matter of hours.
Disenfranchised citizens have increasingly turned to the internet to
highlight alleged state abuses and demand political reforms from Mr
Sen’s government which has ruled the country for more than 30 years.
“There’s nothing to be surprised about. This is how the court works,”
Mr Raya told reporters as he left the courthouse. According to reports
looked unshaken by the verdict as he was escorted away by guards.
The 24-year-old student was charged in August last year for urging
the public to “change the vulgar regime” and join his “colour
revolution”. In a Facebook post Mr Raya said he was willing to go to
prison or die for his cause. How he intended to pursue it was never made
clear and his call failed to garner public support.
According to news agency AFP a 25-year-old man was arrested and charged in January with issuing death threats to one of world’s longest-ruling leaders.
A Cambodian opposition senator also faces up to 17 years in jail
after a court charged him for posting a disputed document on Facebook
about the border with Vietnam.
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