Venerable Soy Sat was arrested on 9 March 2023 in Battambang province and detained overnight at the provincial police station. The monk was defrocked and released on the evening of 10 March, and consequently forced back into civilian life.

The arrest occurred during Venerable Soy Sat’s ongoing religious march, which started on 1 March 2023 in the capital and was set to end roughly 350 kilometres away in the border city of Poipet.

Venerable Soy Sat marched to highlight seven demands, including calling for monks who join social actions to not be expelled from pagodas; for courts to not be improperly used against activists; for respect for all citizens’ freedom of expression; for the fair resolution of land conflicts; and for the release of politicians, civil society members, and youths currently detained in prison.

The arrest in Battambang followed an earlier disruption on 7 March 2023, when authorities from neighbouring Pursat province briefly stopped the activist monk and questioned him.

This is the second time this year that Venerable Soy Sat took part in a national march across multiple provinces. In late January, the monk joined a march headed by then-union leader Rong Chhun, who is now a Vice President of the Candlelight Party. Upon returning to his home in Plaoch pagoda in Kampong Speu, Venerable Soy Sat was told he could no longer reside there. He has been living in a nearby forested area since.