Journalists Accused of Human Trafficking

Two journalists and a human rights worker have been arrested and charged with human trafficking in mountainous north-eastern Cambodia while en route to investigate the plight of ethnic Montagnard people fleeing alleged persecution in Vietnam, their employers said yesterday.

Kevin Doyle, the Irish editor of the English-language Cambodia Daily, and Cambodians Sok Rathavisal of Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Pen Bunna of the local human rights group Adhoc were apparently held by police deep in the jungle near O Leav, in Ratanakiri province, on Sunday.

An interior ministry spokesman, Khieu Sopheak, was quoted by RFA's Cambodian-language service as saying that the three men had been charged with human trafficking, but would be freed within 24 hours if they signed a letter admitting their guilt.

It is thought that Adhoc was trying to help 17 Montagnards to reach representatives of the UN high commissioner for refugees. The 17 are also reportedly being detained.

Adhoc's president, Thun Saray, told the Reuters news agency that he did not know why the trio had been detained. He said he would seek the help of the UN high commissioner for refugees to resolve the situation.

The president of RFA, Richard Richter, said in a statement yesterday: "This is a legal travesty, and the international community should unite in demanding that these men be released and all charges against them dropped immediately."

The publisher of the Cambodia Daily, Bernard Krisher, said Doyle would not have broken any laws.

"He's obviously not involved in anything other than writing about the story. But Cambodia doesn't want to alienate the Vietnamese, who are very sensitive over this, so they're trying to hamper any reporting or coverage of this issue."

Mr Krisher said he was not afraid for Doyle's safety, but was concerned that the three might be treated differently.

Cambodia has become increasingly sensitive about the hundreds, and possibly thousands, of mostly Protestant Montagnards who have fled alleged persecution in the central highlands of communist Vietnam in recent months. The authorities have hindered staff from the UNHCR, and have closed its office in Ratanakiri.