A controversy over the lights at Angkor Wat

Whistleblowers often have a thankless job, even in the US. However it is troubling to hear that Mr. Moeung Sonn, Cambodian president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation, has been found guilty of “disseminating disinformation” after questioning the installation of lights at Angkor Wat. The charges carry a 2-year sentence and a $1000 fine.

As Norbert Klein had mentioned several years ago:

 The president of the Khmer Civilization Foundation, Mr. Moeung Sonn, considered it as his civic duty to ask critical questions about the fairly massive deployment of electrical equipment at the symbol of Khmer culture and World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat.

If any additional harmful changes are made to Angkor Wat or other sites, future Cambodian archaeologists, researchers, and scholars will be fearful of speaking out against them.

Norbert Klein has some more thoughts on this as well as a link to photos of the lights..

PS: The lights have since been taken down and everyone denies they caused any damage.