Mech Dara

Mech Dara (Khmer: ម៉ិច ដារ៉ា) is a Cambodian journalist.^[1] Dara has extensively reported on corruption and human trafficking. In 2023, he was honored by United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his work covering online scams, named as a 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report Hero.^[2] Dara previously worked for Cambodian newspapers The Cambodia Daily and The Phnom Penh Post, both of which were shut down by the government.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} He also reported for Voice of Democracy radio and website, which was shut down by the government in 2023.^[3][8][9]

2024 arrest

Dara was arrested on 1 October 2024 in Phnom Penh.^[10] He was charged with “incitement to provoke serious social chaos” resulting from social posts in September.^[3][11] Dara's arrest was condemned by the US State Department and the US Embassy in Phnom Penh.^[12][13] The Committee to Protect Journalists' senior Southeast Asia representative Shawn Crispin denounced the charges.^[14] He was released on bail on 24 October after he appeared to have made a public apology to Prime Minister Hun Manet and his father and predecessor Hun Sen.^[15] On 5 November, he said that he would quit journalism and work as a farmer instead.^[16]