Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
A group of 34 newspapers editors and representatives of various newspapers associations issued a 12-point request, among which features the request to the authority to stop using the UNTAC-era criminal code in the sentencing of journalists, and they also asked for several amendments to the information law. The journalists’ demand came after they held a 2-day forum in Sihanoukville on 28 December. The group of newspapers editors asked the government, and in particular, the tribunal, to use the information law instead of the UNTAC-era criminal code whereby journalists could face arrest for expressing their opinion. Representatives of all these journalists said that the use of the UNTAC-era criminal code to sentence journalists means that Cambodia is a country that cannot guarantee the freedom of the press. In 2007, at least 7 journalists faced charges stemming from the use of the UNTAC-era criminal code, and they were accused of writing untrue newspapers articles.
1 comment:
Crimiial defamatin is one of the most widely used tools against not only political figures, journalists but also lawyers and businessmen-particularly foreign in order to quiet your opposition and in many cases cause them to leave the country for fear of arrest.
The fault for drafting such a represive law is with those who drafted the UNTAC Criminal Law-mostly european consultants, but to allow it to continue with out changig it to purely a civil law is the responsibility of the national assembly and the senate. Even the PM has called for it's change some months ago. I hope that the journalists' crying out now will be heard and moved on.
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