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Yin Srang, a spokesman for the Siem Reap
provincial court, told Reuters that rapper Kea Sokun, 23, was
found guilty of incitement to commit a felony and sentenced to a
year and a half in prison, of which six months were suspended.
Another rapper, Long Putheara, who was 17 when arrested last
year, received five months in jail, about six weeks of which was
suspended, Yin Srang said.
Their convictions come during a wave of arrests of activists and
opponents of the government, which started in July with the
detention of a unionist who accused it of ceding land to
neighbouring Vietnam.
Others held include members of environmental groups, a
politician and a Buddhist monk, according to human rights group
Licadho, which tracks arrests of dissidents and activists.
Several Western nations have condemned that crackdown as well as
treason charges against scores of opposition party supporters,
warning that Cambodia's democracy is under threat.
Kea Sokun's father Kea Phal said the conviction of his son was
an injustice and the two rap songs - "Khmer Land" and "Sad Race"
- had positive meaning.
"The songs were educational and just remind youths to be loving
of own nation," Kea Phal told Reuters.
Kea Phal said his son had made no apology during court
proceedings because he did nothing wrong.
Lyrics in Khmer Land and Sad Race - which have over 2 million
and 700,000 views respectively - say Cambodians are starving and
the country is losing territory to its neighbours.
They urge people to stand up against oppression and unite to
bring the country greatness.
Cambodia's government did not immediately respond to a request
for comment on the convictions.
(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Martin Petty)
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