Young environmental activists remain behind bars in cambodia as human rights defenders day highlights their plight

On Human Rights Defenders Day, December 9th, the imprisonment of Cambodian environmental activists serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those who challenge destructive development projects. A powerful documentary called “The Clearing” chronicles the story of young activists from Mother Nature Cambodia who now sit in jail for their efforts to protect the country’s forests and communities.

The film, produced by Andy Ball and Marta Kasztelan with support from the Pulitzer Center, showcases the remarkable successes of these brave advocates. The group has managed to halt several potentially devastating projects, including a major dam construction and the export of sand from sensitive coastal areas. However, their most visible campaign focuses on Botum Sakor National Park, once Cambodia’s largest protected area.

“Eighty percent of the park has been handed to private companies,” explains activist Ly Chandaravuth in the documentary, while filming drone footage over cleared forest land. “Thousands of families have been evicted because they need to build an airport and casinos.” This type of bold documentation and public advocacy has made the activists targets of Cambodia’s authoritarian government.

The consequences have been severe: dozens of environmental defenders have been arrested over recent years, with eleven currently imprisoned. The documentary follows Chandaravuth and four other activists who were arrested in June 2021. While Chandaravuth was initially released on bail, all five faced trial for their environmental work, highlighting the increasingly dangerous climate for those defending Cambodia’s natural resources and affected communities.