Cambodian Journalist Mech Dara Charged After Exposing Crypto Scams

Renowned Cambodian journalist Mech Dara has been arrested and charged with “incitement to cause public disorder” after sharing images on social media that reportedly showed the destruction of stairs at a religious site by a quarry operation.

The post, now deleted, has drawn accusations from authorities that Dara was attempting to create social unrest. His lawyer confirmed that he was charged under articles 494 and 495 of Cambodia’s Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of up to two years.

Human rights groups believe Dara’s arrest may be linked to his investigative reporting on crypto-related scams and human trafficking.

Before being taken into custody, media outlets supportive of the government dismissed his recent posts about a quarry excavation on social media as “false information.” Local officials charged Dara with attempting to “incite social unrest and disarray,” urging the Information Ministry to pursue legal measures against him.

Dara extensively covered illegal activities related to “pig butchering” schemes, where victims are manipulated into investing in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes after being coerced and emotionally exploited.

Cambodia has become a major center for these operations, which involve forced labor and global scams. A study by a finance professor at The University of Texas estimated that global losses from such scams exceeded $75 billion from January 2020 to February 2024.

Dara received the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Hero award in 2023 for his investigative work. His reporting uncovered the involvement of Cambodian senator Ly Yong Phat in criminal syndicates linked to human trafficking and forced labor. In September 2024, the U.S. Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on Phat for his alleged role in facilitating forced labor related to these crypto scams, a move that the Cambodian government criticized.

The arrest was done on Sept 30, 2024, while Dara traveled with his family on an expressway near Phnom Penh. Military police, reportedly in six cars, stopped Dara’s vehicle and detained him without immediately providing details of the charges. His family stated that authorities claimed to have a warrant, but no explanation was given at the time of the arrest. Dara was later transferred to pretrial detention in Kandal Provincial Prison. He was not allowed to meet his legal team or family before his detention.

Human rights organizations have condemned the arrest, asserting that it is part of a broader campaign to silence independent journalism in Cambodia. Authorities have been accused of frequently using incitement charges to suppress journalists and activists. The Ministry of Information has responded by stating that Dara’s journalist credentials expired at the end of 2022 and had not been renewed.

They also added: “Falsifying information and posting of inciting messages that distort the truth, slander, fabricate false information that is done with malicious intent to ignite anger among the public, with confusions and misconceptions are not considered as freedom of expression, and if the person involved is indeed a journalist, the act of distorting the facts and fabricating false information is not considered as freedom of the press nor freedom of the publication.”

Cambodia ranks 151 out of 180 countries in the 2024 Press Freedom Index.

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Lawrence does not hold any crypto asset. This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The Shib Magazine and The Shib Daily are the official media and publications of the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency project. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial adviser before making any investment decisions.

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