Farmers Get 6-Year Prison Sentences for Posting Border Bridge Photos Amidst Conflict

The Battambang Court of Appeal in northwestern Cambodia upheld on August 6th the Siem Reap Provincial Court's decision to sentence two farmers to six years in prison each for posting photos of a bridge on Facebook during a border conflict. The farmers were accused of collecting information that could harm national defense. The defendants, identified as Hun Hong, 36, and Mik Diep, 33, both farmers residing in Samrong City, Oudor Meanchey Province, were found to have photographed the O'Chik bridge, located in the border area between Oudor Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces. Their posts appeared on social media during an active clash between Cambodian and Thai forces along the border, which subsequently led to Thai warplanes bombing the bridge, causing extensive damage. Previously, on May 11, 2026, the Siem Reap Provincial Court had sentenced both men to six years imprisonment for attempting to collect information that could undermine national defense, as stipulated by Articles 27 and 446 of the Cambodian Penal Code. They had appealed this ruling. The two farmers were arrested by specialized police on December 12, 2026, in Samrong City, Oudor Meanchey Province, shortly after they posted images of the O'Chik bridge, described as an "ancient Khmer bridge," on Facebook. Approximately two days after their posts, Thai F-14 fighter jets reportedly bombed the bridge, causing it to collapse and suffer severe destruction. This judicial decision underscores the strict enforcement of information dissemination regulations in border regions and the legal consequences for citizens' actions during times of conflict.