Court Accuses Advocate Monk of Incitement

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has accused the well-known monk and human rights advocate Loun Sovath of incitement for unspecified actions committed in Cambodia and abroad, according to court documents obtained Friday. The court documents, signed by Investigating Judge Duch Kim on Feb. 14, were sent to Justice Minister Ang Vong Vathana the following day and were later forwarded to the Ministry of Cults and Religion in March, though the they do not provide details about the accusations against Loun Sovath, who is well known for his acts of solidarity alongside the victims of land disputes. Loun Sovath said that he had received the court documents from a senior monk earlier in the day on Friday and that he was now considering whether or not he should stay in Cambodia. “I am not worried about the court documents, because I did not commit the crime as I have been accused by the court,” said Loun Sovath, whose work in Cambodia has earned him a number of international human rights awards. “I am concerned in Cambodia, because court officials do not respect the law,” he said. “I’m not sure yet whether I will stay in Cambodia or go abroad.”…