On 19 August 2015, more than 100 villagers from Botumsakor and Kirisakor district in Koh Kong province attempted to enter the provincial prison in order to demand the provincial authority to release three Mother Nature activists, Sun Mala (age 23) Tri Sovikea (age 23), and Sim Samnang (age 28), who were arrested on 17 August 2015, while discussing with villagers involved in a land dispute in Kandul and Andong Teuk villages.
Nheb Sam Oeurn, provincial coordinator for local human rights group ADHOC in Koh Kong province, said the villagers marched in the direction of the provincial court in an attempt to support the activists who were initially supposed to appear before the Koh Kong Provincial Court for questioning by the Investigating Judge, Mr Chhoun Davy.
ADHOC, however, found out that the venue of the questioning was moved to the provincial prison, which is where the protesters subsequently headed. The reasons for this move by the provincial court are not clear yet to ADHOC.. The protesters were blocked by around 50 security officers; however, it did not come to a violent clash between the protesters and the security officers.
The nature activists had been in the forefront of a series of protests against the construction of a hydrodam in Chhay Arieng Valley and against sand pumping in Botomsakor and Kirisakor district.
