07 August 2007By Kim Pov Sottan
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
One of the directors of Cambodge Soir, the only French language newspaper in Cambodia, claimed that the newspaper will restart its publication at the beginning of next month following a hiatus folowing a reporters’ strike.
Oknha Kong Rithy Chup, a director of Cambodge Soir, said that the newspaper direction will accept the various reforms (proposed by the reporters), in particular, the reinforcement of the newspaper website, the expansion of the Cambodian and French versions of the news, and the independence for the editors, in order for the newspaper to continue providing the important role it played within the Cambodian society, as it did before.
Kong Rithy Chub said: “The publication will remain the same, but it will be better. The formula which I just talked about will consist of (1) we will (publish) every day, (and also) on our website. Furthermore, each week, we will publish a 32-page edition which will be both in Khmer and French, so we will do this … once a week, this is a must. There is no issue to close (the newspaper), we must continue, but we must organize with new profession(al standards) and we pursue the work.”
Up to now, a reorganization of a new reporters group is under way, as well as the repair of the newspaper building, and the organization of the articles which will be published next month.
Kong Sothanarith, the person responsible for the paper conception, said that he is happy and he welcomes this decision made by the director, however, he said that the newspaper’s editors insist that the direction should stop meddling with the editors’ work in order for the latter to work independently.
Kong Sothanarith said: “We demand in it that Cambodge Soir maintains the same independent trend, and that it is not influenced by politics, and not influenced by any political parties at all. All of us hope that Cambodge Soir will remain the same.”
Cambodge Soir is the only French-language newspaper in Cambodia, it has been in operation in the past 13 years, and it includes about 50% of French journalists and 50% of Cambodian journalists. The newspaper received its main financial backing from Oknha Kong Rithy Chup, and “Les Editions du Mekong” publishing house which is owned by the French government.
At the beginning of June, a French reporter was fired from his work after he authored an articles reporting about the “Families of the thieves of the Nation” (Global Witness report: Cambodia’s Family Ties) which is critical to the senior leaders of the government of Cambodia and their relatives for their illegal logging activities in Cambodia.
The article was criticized by one of the newspaper director who said that it could affect his relationship with the government. That claim was used as an excuse to fire the French reporter. Immediately after the firing, the entire group of the newspaper’s reporters went into strike and they remain out of work until the present negotiation.
Oknha Kong Rithy Chup, a director of Cambodge Soir, said that the newspaper direction will accept the various reforms (proposed by the reporters), in particular, the reinforcement of the newspaper website, the expansion of the Cambodian and French versions of the news, and the independence for the editors, in order for the newspaper to continue providing the important role it played within the Cambodian society, as it did before.
Kong Rithy Chub said: “The publication will remain the same, but it will be better. The formula which I just talked about will consist of (1) we will (publish) every day, (and also) on our website. Furthermore, each week, we will publish a 32-page edition which will be both in Khmer and French, so we will do this … once a week, this is a must. There is no issue to close (the newspaper), we must continue, but we must organize with new profession(al standards) and we pursue the work.”
Up to now, a reorganization of a new reporters group is under way, as well as the repair of the newspaper building, and the organization of the articles which will be published next month.
Kong Sothanarith, the person responsible for the paper conception, said that he is happy and he welcomes this decision made by the director, however, he said that the newspaper’s editors insist that the direction should stop meddling with the editors’ work in order for the latter to work independently.
Kong Sothanarith said: “We demand in it that Cambodge Soir maintains the same independent trend, and that it is not influenced by politics, and not influenced by any political parties at all. All of us hope that Cambodge Soir will remain the same.”
Cambodge Soir is the only French-language newspaper in Cambodia, it has been in operation in the past 13 years, and it includes about 50% of French journalists and 50% of Cambodian journalists. The newspaper received its main financial backing from Oknha Kong Rithy Chup, and “Les Editions du Mekong” publishing house which is owned by the French government.
At the beginning of June, a French reporter was fired from his work after he authored an articles reporting about the “Families of the thieves of the Nation” (Global Witness report: Cambodia’s Family Ties) which is critical to the senior leaders of the government of Cambodia and their relatives for their illegal logging activities in Cambodia.
The article was criticized by one of the newspaper director who said that it could affect his relationship with the government. That claim was used as an excuse to fire the French reporter. Immediately after the firing, the entire group of the newspaper’s reporters went into strike and they remain out of work until the present negotiation.
No comments:
Post a Comment