PHNOM PENH – “Life in prison was tense,” said 36-year-old Mech Dara. “I thought I wouldn’t live to see the next day.”
He continued, “The cell was cramped and filled with cigarette smoke. Even with a mask, I had no choice but to endure it.”
Cambodian journalist Dara, recently released from jail after an arrest that sparked an international outcry, recounts a harrowing experience of detention and interrogation, highlighting the increasing suppression of media freedom in the country.
He was released on bail on October 24 from Kandal Prison, 10 kilometres from capital Phnom Penh, where he was placed in pre-trial detention after his arrest on September 30.
He was charged with “incitement to disturb social security” a day later for allegedly posting disputed content between September 20 and 29, 2024. He spent 23 days in prison.
A massive campaign mounted by his family and friends, mostly journalists and press groups in Cambodia and abroad, as well as embassies, demanded the government release him and drop his charges.
His bail came after his apology made on video to Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father Hun Sen for spreading false information on social media five times and harming the country’s reputation.
Dara’s bail also occurred during USAID administrator Samantha Power’s visit to Cambodia, where she announced a $50-million fund for demining activities and to support civil society groups.
Speaking to journalists on November 1, Dara, wearing a patterned button up shirt and holding a wallet with a sticker “Free Mech Dara”, thanked all those who called for his release and the dropping of the charges. He planned to retire to sell coconuts on a pulled cart along the street in Phnom Penh.
“Because of this situation, I decided to quit journalism. I have worked a lot in this field and it’s enough for me. I’ll likely look for another job or start a small business. I hope this case will be resolved soon, allowing me to restore my mental health to normal.”
‘We found him, arrested him’
While visiting family in Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s seaside town, Dara learned that a Facebook post he made about Ba Phum mountain contained false information. He deleted the post.
Shortly after, while returning to Phnom Penh with his family, they were stopped at a military police checkpoint.
“When we reached the checkpoint, my cousin was about to pay and suddenly several military police surrounded his car, saying, ‘we found him, arrested him,’ and demanded that I hand over my phone,” he said.
“I realized this was probably related to my post, so I told my family not to worry as it was my issue. I got out of the car and the military police were about to handcuff me, but their boss told them to wait until they read the arrest warrant first.”
The military police brought Dara to Phnom Penh, which he described as the longest journey ever for him. Authorities asked Dara to give his mobile phone password and he refused. Then they started checking his glasses to see if he had a hidden recording device.
During the ride to Phnom Penh, he was given only water to drink. When he was hungry and asked for bread, they refused.
“As we continued to Phnom Penh, it felt like the journey was taking forever,” Dara said.
When he finally arrived in Phnom Penh at night, they took him to the Phnom Penh Municipal Commissioner, where he asked for bread once more, but they refused again. They kept him in a room and asked for his phone password once more.
“They took my wallet and even my belt. While in custody, they repeatedly asked for my phone password. Initially, I refused, but they threatened to charge me with ‘obstructing law enforcement’ if I didn’t comply. Scared and still hungry, I decided to give them the password.”
‘Slap him a few times’
While in custody, armed military police guarded him with AK rifles. At night, they took him up and down the building, interrogating him, taking photos and asking what his jobs were in the past, such as at the now-shuttered Cambodia Daily and Phnom Penh Post.
“When I came back down, I saw a woman, a foreigner, who I used to know. She had been arrested at the airport and I talked to her and felt like I got rid of some of my loneliness.”
Dara endured an all-night interrogation, facing threats of violence when he didn’t immediately cooperate. He was eventually transported to court, believing his Facebook post, while containing some inaccurate information, was intended to be constructive. He maintains he did not create the false images but shared them from another source.
“At one point, in another room, I heard a man say, ‘if he does not cooperate, do not answer, slap him a few times,” Dara said.
He said he encountered fellow prisoners incarcerated for minor offenses, and saw a young man, likely struggling with addiction and suffering abuse from others.
Dara, an award-winning journalist, who has been breaking stories on Cambodia’s scam compounds, met Prime Minister Hun Manet after his release. He declined to speak about the meeting.
Hun Manet posted his meeting with Dara on Facebook and called Dara — who had been honored with the 2023 TIP Report Hero for his work to combat human trafficking by the US State Department — “brother”.
“[I] chatted with Mech Dara on a wide range of topics, including the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of journalists who need to publish factual information and adhere to professional ethics,” Manet posted along with a photo of him hugging Dara. – Rappler.com
Prak Chan Thul, Kiripost‘s Editor-in-Chief, is a seasoned journalist with over two decades of experience, including 14 years at Reuters. He is one of Rappler’s #FactsMatter Fellows for 2024.
