Rong Chhun speaks to the media after his conviction, in front of the Phnom Penh Capital Court this morning.

The Phnom Penh Capital Court this morning sentenced prominent labour and political activist Rong Chhun to four years in prison on charges of incitement to disturb social security, and permanently stripped him of his rights to vote and stand for election. The court also fined Chhun 4 million riel (about US $1,000). The conviction follows comments Chhun allegedly made expressing his opinion of Cambodia's online fraud sector and the Cambodia-Vietnam border.

Chhun serves as an advisor to the opposition Nation Power Party, which was formed after the arbitrary exclusion of the Candlelight Party from the 2023 National Election. He formerly served as a vice-president of the Candlelight Party, and was also a longtime labour leader with the Cambodian Confederation of Unions and the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association.

Chhun was previously convicted of incitement in August 2021, serving over 15 months in prison prior to his release. The court this morning applied Article 88 of the Criminal Code, which allows a prison sentence to be doubled if a person is a repeat offender (that is, convicted of the same misdemeanour within five years). This doubles the usual maximum two-year sentence for incitement under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code. The court also applied Articles 55 and 498 to permanently remove Chhun of his rights to vote and stand for election.

In 2021, Chhun was also ordered to jointly pay damages of 400 million riel (about US $100,000). In April 2025, the Phnom Penh Capital Court ordered the seizure of his assets, including his home in Phnom Penh, as those damages had not been paid.