Human rights NGO Licadho claimed that six police officers arrested four people who were in their office in Banteay Meanchey province on Wednesday afternoon to seek legal counsel for their imprisoned relative, political activist Kong Saron. However, the police denied the arrest, stating that they were there to “invite” them to the station to “receive humanitarian assistance”, and that the individuals have since returned home.
Licadho released a statement identifying the four persons – Saron’s wife Hang Treub and daughter Seng Chana, and two other individuals, who had accompanied them to the NGO’s office.
“All four were arrested about 10 minutes after arriving at the office,” read the statement. Licadho staff asked the police for relevant documents, but none were provided. Instead, they responded that “they were obeying orders”. The policemen also ordered Licadho staff to delete the photographs of them in the office.
When contacted by CamboJA, Banteay Meanchey provincial police chief Sith Luos denied the arrest, calling it a “misunderstanding” as they were only there to invite the four individuals to receive “gifts”.
“I have already clarified the issue but they [might] have [other] intentions. I don’t know [Licadho’s purpose]. Their staff claimed that we made an arrest but there was none. We gave them gifts and all four have returned home,” Luos said. “When they arrived in Banteay Meanchey, I had prepared four packages of rice and noodles, and one million riel,” he added.
Luos said Kong Saron’s family, including his mother, wife and his older sister and brother had submitted a letter to the district police office requesting help because there were alleged threats of harm against Saron in prison.
He said somebody had told the wife that Saron wanted to meet her in prison. When they arrived at the prison, they were not allowed to meet. This worried them as they thought that they were being duped and sought for police intervention.
Police contacted them and learned that they had arrived at the compound of Licadho’s office after leaving the prison, so the authority went over there to “invite” them to the police station to pass them the food parcels and money, he said.
“When my subordinates went to Licadho’s office to invite the four, their staff took pictures. My subordinates warned them not to take pictures. If they did not listen, they were told that they might be taken in for questioning,” he said.
Kong Saron was sentenced to three years imprisonment on November 25 for allegedly posting political opinions on Facebook during the 2023 July elections, said Licadho.
Licadho rights group operation director Am Sam Ath, defending his organization, said the officers entered the NGO office and asked the four people to follow them without offering any explanation.
According to him, the entry of police officers in the NGO office to take people away without documentation or explanation, is not the right procedure.
“They [police] entered while we were providing legal advice relating to Saron’s appeal to the Court of Appeal in Battambang but no explanation was given. Instead, they said they were ‘obeying orders’,” Sam Ath said, adding that the staff were forced to delete the pictures taken when the individuals were being escorted out.
Meanwhile, Saron’s wife Hang Treub confirmed with CamboJA that they arrived home in Malai district at 6:30pm on December 6 after receiving four packets of rice and noodles, and 100,000 riel at the provincial police headquarters.
“When [we] went to Licadho’s office, the police officers came there to take us to the provincial police headquarters. They [police] did not say much, only asked about my husband and I replied that he was fine,” Treub said.
A reporter at CamboJA tried to contact her again for further details, but she did not pick up the call.
