Monk flees Cambodia after videos on fake Facebook page shred his reputation

Human rights activist Luon Sovath faced claims that he had slept with three sisters and their mother. Now in Switzerland, he was charged in absentia by prosecutors in Siem Reap with raping one of the sisters. PHOTO: NYTIMES
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BANGKOK • In just four days, the reputation of a Buddhist monk who has spent decades fighting for the human rights of Cambodians was destroyed.

First, grainy videos appeared on a fake Facebook page, claiming that he had slept with three sisters and their mother.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 24, 2020, with the headline Monk flees Cambodia after videos on fake Facebook page shred his reputation. Subscribe