Two Cambodian journalists have formally appealed their treason convictions and 14-year prison sentences after being found guilty of posting Facebook photographs related to border clashes with Thailand. Phorn Sopheap of Battambang Post TV Online and Pheap Pheara of TSP 68 TV Online were arrested on July 31, 2023, while returning from reporting assignments near the contentious border region.
The Siem Reap Provincial Court convicted both journalists in December on charges of ‘supplying a foreign state with information prejudicial to national defense.’ Authorities alleged the journalists operated within a restricted military zone and captured images containing land mines—evidence that contradicted official Cambodian denials about deploying such weapons in border conflicts.
International press freedom organizations have condemned the verdicts. Shawn Crispin, senior Southeast Asia representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, demanded Cambodian authorities cease using ‘vague national security laws to criminalize legitimate reporting.’ The case highlights Cambodia’s troubling press freedom record, with Reporters Without Borders ranking the nation 161st out of 180 countries in their 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
According to court documents reviewed by rights group Licadho, the charges stemmed from Facebook posts made while covering military engagements between Cambodia and Thailand. Thai media extensively republished one controversial photograph allegedly showing unplanted land mines, fueling diplomatic tensions between the neighboring countries.
Cambodia maintains it adheres to international agreements prohibiting land mine use, attributing any explosives to remnants from 1990s conflicts. Thailand, however, has accused Cambodia of deploying fresh mines that injured Thai soldiers.
Om Sarath, wife of convicted journalist Pheap Pheara, told The Associated Press her husband had no malicious intent. ‘He just took gifts to distribute to front-line soldiers and took a photo with them as a souvenir without knowing there was a land mine in the background,’ she explained, adding that an appeal was filed Monday seeking acquittal for both journalists.
Yin Srang, spokesperson for Siem Reap Provincial Court, confirmed the appeals process is underway. The border clashes that prompted the journalists’ reporting displaced hundreds of thousands and resulted in approximately 100 military and civilian casualties before a December ceasefire temporarily eased tensions.