Ream Sreypich Rothana and Thy Thorn (2024)

The Supreme Court this morning denied bail for Ream Sreypich Rothana and Thy Thorn, two vice-presidents of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA), upholding the decision of the Investigating Chamber of the Phnom Penh Appeal Court from 5 December 2024. The two youth activists, aged 23 and 24, are charged with "plotting" under Article 453 of the Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years if convicted.

Rothana and Thorn were arrested in August 2024 as part of a larger crackdown on over 100 people accused of expressing opinions or planning to assemble in reaction to the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA), a regional cooperation agreement from which Cambodia has since withdrawn. In total, more than 60 people were charged and imprisoned during the crackdown.

KSILA’s president, Koet Saray, is currently serving a four-year prison sentence after his arrest in April 2024 on charges of “incitement” under article 494 and 495, and “committing a misdemeanour after sentencing for a misdemeanour” under Article 88 of the code related to his advocacy over a violent eviction in Preah Vihear province.