Twelve Koh Kong land activists were convicted by a provincial court on incitement charges for attempting to travel to Phnom Penh in 2023 to petition authorities for a resolution to their long-standing land dispute.

The Koh Kong Provincial Court found all 12 defendants guilty of incitement on Wednesday and imposed a suspended sentence of six months in prison. The defendants are Det Huor, Heng Chey, Inn Thou, Lang Cheav, Phav Nheung, Seng Lin, Sok Chey, Soung Theng, Tith Tang, Yi Kunthea, Yoeut Khmao, and Rek Soeung.

In July 2023, the group of activists from three communities were stopped at Srae Ambel district in Koh Kong and prevented from reaching Phnom Penh to deliver a petition to Justice Minister Koeut Rith. A majority of the defendants — including Nheung, Lin, Heng Chey and Sok Chey — have also faced multiple charges in separate cases.

The land activists are embroiled in disputes with companies linked to tycoons Ly Yong Phat and Heng Huy that have been ongoing for more than a decade. The companies were granted concessions for sugar plantations that overlapped with community members’ land. The activists have repeatedly demanded for the government to find solutions to the disputes, but continue to be harassed by authorities.