YouTube/Long Puthera
A court in Cambodia on Tuesday sentenced two rappers who wrote rhymes critical of the government to lengthy prison terms, prompting a rights group to condemn the verdict as a form of “intimidation” against outspoken members of the country’s youth.
The Siem Reap Provincial Court handed Kea Sokun, 22, an 18-month jail term and Long Putheara, 17, a five-month jail term, for “incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest” under Article 495 of Cambodia’s Penal Code, court officials said.
The two young men were arrested in September in Siem Reap province after releasing songs criticizing the Cambodian government’s handling of its border dispute with Vietnam and suggesting that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s lack of leadership had led to Cambodia’s economic decline.