By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
The pro-Funcinpec Ta Prohm (FM 90.5) radio station was forced to urgently shut down on Tuesday one of its program on “Comments on the political situation” which criticizes the government.
The shut down was performed in haste on Tuesday at 9:30 PM after the station received the order and the advise from senior officials of the Funcinpec party in order to put out the war of words through airwaves with the government.
Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, told RFA on Wednesday: “I also knew that there are spats back and forth [with the government], therefore we [stop] it for a while to resolve our problems, there should not be spats back and forth.”
He denied that there was any order from the government to shut the program down. Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman and minister of information, cannot be contacted.
Noranarith Anadayat, Ta Prohm director and Chief of Cabinet for Prince Norodom Ranariddh, told RFA – but declined to have his voice recorded – that he has to shut down the political comments program from now on in order to preserve the safety.
He added that such threat is not new, but he understands that this is not [a] normal [threat], it forced him to take precautions. The shut down program is now replaced by a broadcast of songs.
A source indicated that the shut down political comments program had broadcasted the speeches given by Prince Norodom Ranariddh in Kampot, Kompong Chhnang, Kompong Cham provinces, in Phnom Penh, and a number of other provinces, and their comments.
During these speeches, Prince Ranariddh criticized the government on the issues of territorial integrity, immigration, as well as a number of other issues.
Khan Savoeun, state secretary at the ministry of Interior, who visited Noranarith Anandayat on Wednesday morning, said that he came over to smooth out the problems so that there is no fear, and also to prevent the situation from getting worst.
It is recalled that Chuor Chetharith, a radio broadcaster for Ta Prohm station, was assassinated by an unknown killer on 18 October 2003 in front of the Ta Prohm station office in Phnom Penh, at a time when Funcinpec and the CPP party had severe political disputes between each other.
Up to now, the killers have not been found yet.
Kem Sokha, director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rigths, said that if the expression of opinion does not affect the national security, he believes that this would constitute a curtail of the right to express opinion in society, and a curtail of the application of democracy.
The shut down was performed in haste on Tuesday at 9:30 PM after the station received the order and the advise from senior officials of the Funcinpec party in order to put out the war of words through airwaves with the government.
Nhiek Bun Chhay, Funcinpec secretary-general, told RFA on Wednesday: “I also knew that there are spats back and forth [with the government], therefore we [stop] it for a while to resolve our problems, there should not be spats back and forth.”
He denied that there was any order from the government to shut the program down. Khieu Kanharith, government spokesman and minister of information, cannot be contacted.
Noranarith Anadayat, Ta Prohm director and Chief of Cabinet for Prince Norodom Ranariddh, told RFA – but declined to have his voice recorded – that he has to shut down the political comments program from now on in order to preserve the safety.
He added that such threat is not new, but he understands that this is not [a] normal [threat], it forced him to take precautions. The shut down program is now replaced by a broadcast of songs.
A source indicated that the shut down political comments program had broadcasted the speeches given by Prince Norodom Ranariddh in Kampot, Kompong Chhnang, Kompong Cham provinces, in Phnom Penh, and a number of other provinces, and their comments.
During these speeches, Prince Ranariddh criticized the government on the issues of territorial integrity, immigration, as well as a number of other issues.
Khan Savoeun, state secretary at the ministry of Interior, who visited Noranarith Anandayat on Wednesday morning, said that he came over to smooth out the problems so that there is no fear, and also to prevent the situation from getting worst.
It is recalled that Chuor Chetharith, a radio broadcaster for Ta Prohm station, was assassinated by an unknown killer on 18 October 2003 in front of the Ta Prohm station office in Phnom Penh, at a time when Funcinpec and the CPP party had severe political disputes between each other.
Up to now, the killers have not been found yet.
Kem Sokha, director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rigths, said that if the expression of opinion does not affect the national security, he believes that this would constitute a curtail of the right to express opinion in society, and a curtail of the application of democracy.
8 comments:
You Nheck Bomchay ( careless about his right name, those men not respect their own parents, they can calle ah Youn Monkey) better for Cambodia if you jusy joint the CPP!
I mean the hold funsospeak and all your princes!
This is so unfortunate because the more people hear about the situations involving their government and country, the better they will understand the worth of their government. I wonder if they can create Pirate radio stations there that broadcast from a moving vehicle.
AMERICAN HAVE FREE ASSIA BROADCASTING FROM DC1
WHAT YOU NEED IS MONEY, THEN YOU CAN BROACASTE FROM POLE NORTH!
you should shut down your station for good since you do not have right to say what you want to .
To SG Nhiek Bun Chhay:
Now you know that all of the problems are cuased by your leader (Ar Ranarid). For the safy shake, I think you have made a good move. Just broacast music is not a bad idea. So no one get killed again.
Cambodian people have the right to hear both side opinion whether it is CPP or FUNCINPEC! How can Cambodian people get a balance news or political analysis if Cambodian people can only listen to AH HUN SEN state run TV and Radio! Come on man! Be fucken fair here! Cambodian people are sicken tired of listen and reading about AH HUN SEN corruption every day!
Too much of AH HUN SEN is not good for Cambodian people!!!
9:44PM Cambodia people have the right to hear all voices not just these two fucking groups CPP and FUNCIPEC.
Ah Hun Sen and Ranarith can all go to Vietname if they keep playing this fucking game with the people of Cambodia1
THE LON NOL COUP OF 1970 WILL REPEAT SOON AGAIN
YUON XEN GETS READY TO ABOLISH THE KHMER MONARCHY.
PROCLAMATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY
ON...........2006 AT..., THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN CONVENED AND HAS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO REMOVE NORODOM SIHAMONI AS A KING OF CAMBODIA, ABOLISHING THE MONARCHY AND DECLARING CAMBODIA A REPUBLIC WITH YUON XEN, WHO IS CURRENTLY PRIME MINISTER, AS THE PRESIDENT FOR LIFE WITH GRANTED EMERGENCY POWERS..
From Government spokesman and
Information Minister KHIEU KANHARITH
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