Free Theary Seng: The US Should Not Forget About Cambodia’s Political Prisoners

The 55-year-old civil society activist and dual Cambodian-U.S. citizen has been locked up on spurious charges since 2022. She is just one of many.

Cambodian civil society activist and political prisoner Theary Seng, dressed as an apsara dancer, confronts a police officer outside the Phnom Penh Court of First Instance during her trial in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Dec. 7, 2021.

Four years ago, American lawyer and human rights icon Theary Seng was sentenced to six years in Cambodian prison for “conspiracy to commit treason” and “incitement of social disorder.” Her crime? Facebook posts criticizing Hun Sen, Cambodia’s strongman dictator. Charged in a mass trial alongside 60 opposition members, Theary’s trial was rife with human rights and due process abuses. Today, she remains in a cramped cell in Phnom Penh.

Theary’s story is emblematic of Cambodia’s broader authoritarian reality. Amid crackdowns on activists, shuttered independent media, and sham elections, the United States and the international community must act – both for Theary and for all Cambodians fighting for freedom.

Theary is a citizen of both the U.S. and Cambodia who is dedicated to public service. After the Khmer Rouge murdered her parents, she and her siblings escaped to the United States as children. Then, upon graduating from law school, she returned to Cambodia to advocate for survivors of the genocide.

Later, as a high-profile critic of then-Prime Minister Hun Sen, she became a target and was taken into custody in June 2022, immediately after her conviction. The United Nations found her detention illegal and demanded her immediate and unconditional release. Theary has also been denied access to her international counsel, Jared Genser, an author of this article, who after attending her trial was baselessly “banned forever” from Cambodia. Her appeal remains indefinitely delayed.

Ahead of last year’s anniversary, Theary launched her fourth hunger strike to demand the release of Cambodia’s political prisoners. In eight days, she lost nearly 15 percent of her body weight and endured life-threatening health complications. Another hunger strike in December 2023 led to her hospitalization.

Despite four years in prison, Theary’s moral courage shines through, as she believes her personal sacrifices are justified to inspire action against Hun Sen’s authoritarian regime.

One of the world’s longest-serving leaders, Hun Sen spent nearly 40 years strengthening his grip on all branches of government, destroying any semblance of democracy. According to the U.S. Department of State under the administrations of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Hun Sen and his loyalists in the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have created a “de facto one-party state,” banning opposition parties, consolidating control of the legislature, and........

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