Young rapper Kea Sokun, 22, was charged with incitement after his arrest on Friday, Siem Reap Provincial Court spokesperson Yin Srang said.

Sokun�s father Phal Kea, told VOD that Sokun had been arrested in relation to his rap song �Dey Khmer,� or Khmer Land.

The song, posted to YouTube in April, has been watched more than 270,000 times.

�If we run out of land, there is nothing left,� Sokun raps. �Listen to me calmly: Wake up, we are heroes, handcuffed to catch thieves. Destroy the exploiters, put them in jail and lock them up. Take our freedom. Don�t be afraid, do not panic.�

Kea said his son, who dropped out of school in the ninth grade, had written the song himself without any influence from political parties.

He had spoken to his son about the police questioning, which focused on who was behind the song, Kea said.

�He said they only asked about the song, who was behind it � which party do you belong to, and which party does it belong to,� Kea said.

Licadho monitoring manager Am Sam Ath said Sokun�s detention came amid a wave of arrests against young activists that could be considered violations of free expression.

�I don�t think anyone should detain him for the song, because this is a work of art,� Sam Ath said.

VOD Hotnews

On 4 September 2020, Kea Sokun, musician, was arrested by the police for incitement over a song that claims Government-sponsored land-grabbing against the citizens in Siem Reap, Cambodia.