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September 09, 2025 – Cambodia/Thailand –
Two journalists from TSP 68 Online, Porn Sopheap and Pheap Pheara, have been arrested on treason charges after sharing a photograph linked to the Thai–Cambodian border conflict. The image reportedly depicted them standing with Cambodian soldiers at Ta Kwai Temple, taken following the July 28 ceasefire. Thai media interpreted the photo as showing unplanted landmines (PMN-2), escalating diplomatic and security concerns.
According to the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights (LICADHO), the journalists face accusations of “supplying a foreign state with information prejudicial to national defence” under Article 445, a law carrying a potential sentence of 7–15 years in prison. They were arrested on July 31 upon returning from a reporting assignment in Oddar Meanchey and are currently detained at the Siem Reap prison, awaiting trial before the local court.
The case has garnered public attention following a video apology from Pheara’s wife, Om Sarath, in which she asked for mercy from both the public and top officials, including Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet. She insisted that her husband had no malicious intent when sharing the image.
Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army, justified the image’s significance, asserting that it clearly showed the presence of dangerous landmines. While he acknowledged that the journalists may have shared the photo without intent to harm, he criticised Cambodian authorities for prosecuting them and framed it as an attack on press freedom. He also emphasised the need for transparency and continued cross-border cooperation under the General Border Committee (GBC) agreement of August 7.
References –
https://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng_agt?g=nation&k=20250909NATION-40055203
