Mother Nature Cambodia
Mother Nature Cambodia, a youth-led environmental rights organisation, was among the recipients of the 2023 Right Livelihood Award for their fearless activism.
The annual Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk was established in 2005 to honour the work of HRDs who are courageously making outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of the human rights of others, often at great personal risk to themselves.
Mother Nature Cambodia is an environmental rights movement that advocates and campaigns locally and internationally for the preservation, promotion and protection of Cambodia's natural environment. As part of their work, the movement monitors and challenges gross environmental violations and also raises awareness, educates and empowers people by providing them with training and financial support. In addition, Mother Nature Cambodia also provides opportunities for environmental and human rights defenders and supports local fishermen and indigenous communities defend their rights.
About the situation:
In 2021, Mother Nature Cambodia Defenders Thun Ratha, Long Kunthea, Phuong Keorasmey, and Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson were convicted and sentenced due to their evironmental rights work to protect the Boeung Tamok lake in Phnom Penh. On 5 May 2021, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced them to 18-20 months imprisonment on charges of incitement and causing social unrest. Thun Ratha, Long Kunthea and Phuong Keorasmey had been held in pre-trial detention since they were arrested on 3 September 2020 and imprisoned following their sentencing, while Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson was sentenced in absentia.
On 2 July 2024, the Phnom Penh Court convicted and sentenced ten environmental rights defenders associated with Mother Nature Cambodia on charges of “plotting” (Article 453 of the Criminal Code). Three of the defenders were also convicted of “insulting the King” (Article 437 of the Criminal Code). Human rights defenders Long Kunthea, Ly Chandaravuth, Phuon Keoraksmey, and Thun Ratha were sentenced to six years imprisonment for “plotting”, and Yim Leanghy was sentenced to eight years and fined 10 million riel (approximately €2,150) after also being convicted of “insulting the King”. The five defenders were imprisoned immideately. The other five convicted members were sentenced in absentia, and the Court issued arrest warrants for all of them.
The charges stem from the defenders' peaceful environmental activism between 2012 and 2021. The "plotting" charge was initiated in 2021 after MNC members documented waste pollution of Phnom Penh's Tonle Sap river. The "insulting the King" charge is linked to a statement made during an online meeting in May 2021. All requests and appeals for bail or the release of Long Kunthea, Ly Chandaravuth, Phuon Keoraksmey, Thun Ratha, and Yim Leanghy were denied. On 2 March 2026, the Supreme Court denied a renewed motion for release pending appeal. On 1 December 2025, a further request for release was rejected by the Court of Appeal. On 30 April 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the denial and their convictions following the same decision made by the Court of Appeal on 17 February 2025.
HRDs in Cambodia face threats, physical attacks, arrest, judicial harassment, arbitrary detention and killing for peacefully carrying out their work. Intimidation and heavy surveillance caused several to leave the country in fear for their safety. Peaceful protests continued to be hampered by the authorities.
