PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — A well-known Cambodian environmental advocate and five additional activists were released on Monday, following their arrest while they were probing illegal logging activities within a national park.

Ouch Leng, the recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2016, was apprehended on Sunday alongside the other activists who have been documenting the surge in unlawful deforestation occurring in the Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park, situated close to an economic land concession in the Stung Treng province of northeastern Cambodia.

According to provincial spokesman Men Kung, the six activists were set free after they agreed to a commitment not to enter the restricted area again. He further indicated that they could face legal actions should they trespass once more.

In recent months, authorities have intensified their crackdown on environmental activists. In July, ten members of the environmental organization Mother Nature Cambodia, who advocated against harmful infrastructure developments and alleged governmental corruption, were each sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy against the state.

Local human rights organization Licadho pointed out that the government approved an economic land concession in the region in 2022, which was in violation of a 2012 moratorium on new concessions. These concessions have often led to mass evictions and swift deforestation, along with the depletion of natural resources.

The Cambodian government has faced longstanding accusations of manipulating its judicial system to target critics and political adversaries. Prime Minister Hun Manet took over leadership from his father, Hun Sen, in August of last year, after a nearly forty-year rule. However, indications of political reform remain scarce.