PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A prominent Cambodian environmentalist was arrested along with five others while investigating illegal logging in a national park, a rights group and a government official said Sunday.
Ouch Leng, who was awarded a 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize for his activism, was arrested Saturday in northeastern Stung Treng province, the rights group Licadho said in a statement.
The activists have documented an increase in illegal deforestation within the Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park, located near an economic land concession, it said.
The arrests come during a broader crackdown on environmental activists in recent months. In July, 10 members of a Cambodian environmental group, Mother Nature Cambodia, who campaigned against destructive infrastructure projects and alleged corruption were each sentenced to six years in prison on charges of conspiring against the state.
Stung Treng provincial spokesman Men Khung confirmed Sunday by telephone that the six were arrested after they ignored instructions from authorities to leave the forestry area where no access is allowed. He said authorities were strictly guarding the site against illegal logging and land grabbing.
Men Khung said several dozen armed personnel have been sent to the site to chase away illegal loggers and land grabbers and to ensure that no outsiders enter. He said that the six were not environmental activists but attempted to sow anarchy and provoke the authorities.
He said that no charges had been filed against the six as of Sunday.
According to Licadho, the government granted an economic land concession in the area in 2022, even though it contravened a 2012 moratorium on new concessions, which have been linked to mass evictions, rapid deforestation and extraction of resources.
Cambodia’s government has long been accused of using its judiciary to persecute critics and political opponents. Prime Minister Hun Manet succeeded his father, Hun Sen, in August last year after he ruled the country for nearly four decades, but there have been few signs of political liberalization.
FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2016 photo, Cambodian environmentalist Ouch Leng speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. (AP Photo/Elaine Kurtenbach, File)
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan Sunday suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns” as supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan geared up for a protest in the capital.
The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place.
“Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry was not immediately available for comment.
Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “a reliable landline service” as a workaround in the areas suffering suspended cellphone service.
Khan has been in prison for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated.
His supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events.
Pakistan has already sealed off the capital Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services, according to monitoring service Netblocks. On Sunday, Internet-access advocacy group, Netblocks said live metrics showed WhatsApp backends are restricted in Pakistan, affecting media sharing on the app.
The U.S. embassy issued a security alert for Americans in the capital, encouraging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.”
Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery.
The latest crackdown comes on the eve of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Paramilitary soldiers patrol as they station at a overhead bridge ahead of a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Paramilitary soldiers patrol as they station at a overhead bridge ahead of a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Police officers patrol at a road barricaded with shipping containers ahead of a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Police officers patrol at a road barricaded with shipping containers ahead of a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Paramilitary soldiers stand guard with riot gears at a road barricaded with shipping containers ahead of a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Paramilitary soldiers stand guard with riot gears at a road barricaded with shipping containers ahead of a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Police officers stand guard on an entry point to motorway leading to Islamabad, which has been closed by authorities due to a planned rally by supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
