National Press Club: Prominent Cambodian Journalist Must be Released, Charges Dropped

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Oct 07, 2024, 10:04 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Emily Wilkins, president of the National Press Club, on the arrest and detention of award-winning Cambodian journalist Mech Dara, who is renowned for his investigations on corruption, human trafficking, and illegal scams.

Dara won the U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons Hero Award for his work on the multi-million illegal scam centers in Cambodia. He is a freelance reporter, in part because the Cambodian government has gone after and shuttered most of the independent news organizations he has worked for.

"We call for the immediate release of award-winning Cambodian journalist Mech Dara. The charges he is being held on - "to provoke serious social chaos" for posts on social media showing damage caused by a rock quarry - are ridiculous and should be dropped.

Let's be clear - what Dara is doing is journalism. And journalism is not a crime. The Cambodian government's crackdown on media makes reporters like Dara more important than ever in telling critical stories and investigating major issues in the region."

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization, the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Bill McCarren, [email protected] for the National Press Club

SOURCE National Press Club