Filed under: Khmer Press
Cambodian Journalists Face New Challenge at National Assembly
by Moeun Chhean Nariddh
Cambodian journalists who report on the parliamentary meetings have complained about the lack of proper seating for reporters at the new National Assembly building.
“They spent a lot of money for the building, but they could not afford to pay for chairs,” Chum Sophal, deputy editor-in-chief for Samne Thmey newspaper, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily on October 23.
Cambodian People Party’s lawmaker Cheam Yeap, who is in charge of the construction of the $29 million-dollar National Assembly, told the Cambodia Daily that the Assembly was working to complete an air-conditioned press room for journalists who could spend up to 20 hours per week following the Assembly debates. (more…)
Filed under: Khmer Press
Cambodian journalists urged to join fight against corruption
Phnom Penh – Cambodia’s most powerful journalism organisation has weighed into the battle against the country’s endemic corruption, urging journalists to expose graft and announcing large cash prizes in a statement published Tuesday. Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) president Pen Samitthy published details of the competition in the country’s largest selling Khmer-language daily, Reasmey Kampuchea. Samitthy is also the editor-in-chief of that newspaper.
“To effectively fight against corruption, we need the support of the media,” Samitty wrote in his prologue. “Please, all journalists, expose corruption. We must all respond, not just the government.” (more…)
Filed under: Letters
Letter
The Cambodia Daily
16 October 2007
Suspension of NRP Show Bad for Cambodia
I very much regret that the Beehive Radio station briefly halted a political party radio program deemed critical of Prime Minister Hun Sen (“Radio Station Suspends NRP Show for Criticizing PM,” Monday, page 16).
I feel that this suspension of the Norodom Ranariddh Party’s program and the prior screening of its show are just a sign of self-censorship that is still disturbing press freedom in Cambodia. (more…)
Newspaper suspended for defying ministry’s version of event
The Cambodian Ministry of Information has suspended for a month the “Khmer Amatak” newspaper for refusing to publish a correction the ministry requested over a controversial article in the newspaper.
The article, published on 24 September 2007, said that two senior officials from the ruling Funcinpec party, Secretary General Nhiek Bun Chhay and Minister of State Serey Kosal, had removed the name of former Funcinpec president Prince Norodom Ranariddh from a school he donated to the Battambang province, and had replaced it with that of Deputy Prime Minister Nhiek Bun Chhay.
The deputy prime minister and the Ministry of Information had requested the newspaper to publish a correction. However, the newspaper´s director, Bun Tha, said he had evidence to support the article´s claim and had dared the deputy prime minister to bring the case to court. Instead, on 8 October, the ministry suspended the newspaper´s licence. (more…)
Filed under: Press Freedom
Letter to the editor, The Cambodia Daily
Press Protection Law Needed in Cambodia
We welcome the improvement of press freedom in Cambodia cited in “Group Raises Cambodian Press Ranking to “Partly Free,” Thursday, Page 16).
However, Cambodian press freedom, like its democracy, is very fragile and seems to have only come along with economic aid from the international community. If the government no longer needs the donors’ financial assistance, particularly when it gets an influx of oil revenue, Cambodia’s media freedom may be restricted. (more…)
Comment
Media Ban on TV, Radio Stifles Education
by Moeun Chhean Nariddh
The banning of radio and TV stations from reading newspaper stories on air not only infringes upon the independence and freedom of the media, but it also hurts the government’s poverty reduction brainchild.
As we all agree, one of the main factors that have plunged Cambodians into generations of poverty is ignorance and a lack education.
Due to the more than two-decade-long upheaval in the country, most people had missed their opportunity to go to school or had only little education. (more…)
Filed under: Press Freedom
Letter to the editor
The Cambodia Daily
Arrest Were Wrong Under Press Law
I am writing to clarify some points in the story (“‘Stealth Clause’ Used Against Cambodian Press,” the Cambodia Daily, October 26, page 1).
First, Article 7 of the Cambodian press law lists “slander, defamation and insults” as “grave professional abuses.” But it does not say that if a journalist fails to present both sides in a controversial or defamatory story they will be punished or jailed.
Second, the first part of Article 20 says “Any act committed by an employer, editor or author of a text which violates the criminal law shall be punished according to the criminal law.” But in the second part of the same article it clearly states: “However, no person must be arrested or put in prison for expressing [his or her] opinions.” (more…)
Filed under: Press Freedom
Opinion
The Cambodia Daily
17 January 2005
Defamation Shouldn’t Equal Jail Time
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ollowing the recent arrests of journalists and human rights activists on defamation charges, I am glad to hear that the new penal code being drafted will make criminal punishment less severe for defamatory offences (“Draft Law Provides for Jail Time for Defamation,” The Cambodia Daily, Jan 13, page 16).
But it will serve both democracy, including free speech and free press, and the interest of all Cambodians if the criminal punishment in the new law for defamation is removed completely.
Nobody, particularly journalists, would want to touch sensitive issues if they thought that they would be thrown into jail up to five months, as the draft law provides for. (more…)
Filed under: Commentary
The roles and responsibilities of the Khmer media
By Moeun Chhean Nariddh
The recent wave of defamation lawsuits involving the media and the government makes it the right time to review the roles of the media and its responsibilities in a fragile democracy like Cambodia.
Like the media in other democratic nations around the world, the fundamental roles the Khmer media play are to inform, to educate and to entertain the public.
During the last more than 10 years since the UN-sponsored elections in 1993, scores of functioning newspapers mushroomed, followed by the establishment of private radio and TV stations. Regardless of the quality of their products and their political affiliations, different Cambodian news organizations have done a tremendous job to fulfill the three roles. (more…)
Filed under: Letters
Opinion
The Cambodia Daily, February 22, 2006
Don’t Count on Democracy – Look for Its Fruits
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would just like to remind all political observers and human rights activists, particularly Cambodian Center for Human Rights President Kem Sokha, not to be overjoyed by the government’s seemingly positive stance towards democracy (“Kem Sokha Letter Praises Hun Sen on Democracy,” The Cambodia Daily, Feb 21, page16).
We are certainly pleased to see the latest move by Prime Minister Hun Sen to restore Cambodia’s dream for democracy, especially his pledge to remove the criminal punishment for defamation from the law. (more…)
