Koet Saray participates in a bicycle ride in November 2023 calling for the cancellation of timber exports by Angkor Plywood. Photo supplied.

Koet Saray, a former monk and human rights defender, was denied bail by the Supreme Court this morning in a case related to comments he made calling for a resolution to a violent land dispute in Preah Vihear province.

The Supreme Court denied bail to Saray, who is the president of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association, and justified the decision citing the “repeat” nature of Saray’s offence. The bail hearing was conducted on 31 July in the absence of Saray’s lawyers.

Saray was arrested in April by plainclothes officers in Phnom Penh after he spoke to the media about a land dispute involving an Economic Land Concession (ELC) granted to Seladamex. Authorities had burned down people’s homes, and Saray urged authorities to find a resolution to the conflict. Shortly before his arrest, Saray had visited villagers who were hiding from authorities in the forest near the ELC in Preah Vihear.

Saray is charged with incitement to commit a felony or disturb social security under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code. He faces an additional charge under Article 88 of the Criminal Code that could result in his prison sentence being doubled for being convicted twice for the same misdemeanour within five years. In 2020, Saray was convicted of incitement and sentenced to 20 months in prison for calling for the release of labour leader Rong Chhun, but was released early after part of his sentence was suspended.

LICADHO has highlighted Saray’s case as a “Repeat Defender”.