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December 10, 2024 – Cambodia –
Cambodian environmental journalist Chhoeung Chheng, aged 63, was shot in the abdomen while investigating illegal timber transport in Boeung Peam Wildlife Sanctuary, Siem Reap province. Transporting his findings alongside colleague Moeun Ny, Chheng was ambushed near Trapeang Phluoh village. He succumbed to his injuries three days later on December 7, at a Siem Reap hospital, with the suspected logger assailant arrested on December 5 and charged in connection with the shooting.
Chheng worked for online outlet Kampuchea Aphivath, documenting illegal logging that, since 2002, has decimated 72% of Beng Per’s primary forest. His colleague testified that the attacker lay in wait and opened fire after confronting them about their presence—it appears a homemade gun was used. He had reportedly faced previous threats connected to his reporting on environmental crimes.
The murders of environmental reporters are not unfamiliar in Cambodia. In 2014, reporter Taing Try died under similar circumstances. UNESCO’s Director-General Audrey Azoulay condemned the killing, stressing that environmental journalists play a crucial role in protecting communities and must be shielded from harm. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) echoed this sentiment, denouncing the killing as shocking and warning that journalists covering environmental offenses face “grave danger”.
The Cambodian authorities did arrest a suspect swiftly, but questions remain about growing patterns of intimidation. Forbidden Stories reported that evidence from Chheng’s phone may have been deleted by authorities and noted the victim had warned about local officials’ complicity. The environment for independent reporting has been deteriorating in Cambodia since 2017, with independent outlets shuttered and repression intensified.
The killing triggered demands from press freedom watchdogs for a full and transparent investigation and justice for those responsible. CPJ’s Shawn Crispin underlined the systemic peril environmental journalists face and urged authorities to institute protections and genuine legal safeguards.
Chheng’s murder marks the first journalist killing in a decade, yet his death continues a tragic trend in Southeast Asia, where environmental reporting increasingly comes with lethal consequences. The case stands as a grim reminder that abuses in the name of environmental exploitation demand fearless journalism, but also stronger protections for those who seek to uncover them.
Reference –
Environmental journalist Chhoeung Chheng shot and killed in Cambodia
