Cambodian activists investigating illegal logging are freed from detention

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A prominent Cambodian environmentalist and five others have been released a day after being detained while investigating illegal logging in a national park. Ouch Leng, who was awarded a 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize, was taken into custody on Sunday. He and other activists have documented an increase in illegal deforestation in the Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park, located near an economic land concession in northeastern Stung Treng province. Authorities have launched a broader crackdown on environmental activists in recent months. In July, 10 members of a Cambodian environmental group who campaigned against destructive infrastructure projects and alleged corruption, were each sentenced to six years in prison on charges of conspiring against the state.