Cancer Treatment for Cambodian Activist

Yea Thong is a youth activist with the Cambodian National Rescue Party, which has advocated for the rights of ordinary Cambodians persecuted by the government. Yea Thong felt it was his duty to help the victims of human rights abuses in Cambodia. When the government tried to seize land from his neighbors without compensation, he spoke out. When these dispossessed citizens protested their treatment, he defended them.



For his compassion, Yea Thong was convicted of participating in an insurrectionary movement, committing intentional acts of violence, and inciting the commission of a felony in a trial that did not meet international fair trial standards. He was sentenced to seven years in prison on June 13, 2016. He spent three years and 22 days in Prey Sor prison before being released. While in prison, he was denied access to his basic rights, such as the ability to write, freely speak with his family, and exercise outside.


Yea Thong was eventually pardoned by the king, but this did not end his suffering. After his release, he experienced severe back pain and underwent surgery for what was thought to be osteoporosis. But during his surgery, his doctors discovered a tumor that tested positive for cancer. Yea Thong and his family cannot afford the bone cancer treatment that he so desperately needs. Two of his three children have been forced to drop out of school in order to help the family.

As of January, 2019, Yea Thong can no longer walk and lives each day in constant pain. Courage Fund Cambodia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of former political prisoners and their families, needs your help to save Yea Thong.

Your donation will go towards:
- Cost of medical treatment for bone cancer
- Travel and accommodation costs to visit hospitals
- School fees for his children’s’ education
- Support for his family to afford groceries and basic supplies

Yea Thong has dedicated his life to the defense of others and has paid a heavy price. With your help, Yea Thong and his family have the hope of recovery.



If you’d like to learn more about Courage Fund Cambodia and the other victims we support, please visit couragefundcambodia.org .

If you have questions about Yea Thong’s case or Courage Fund Cambodia, or would like to help in another way, please email pr@couragefundcambodia.org.