Washington
06 May 2008
Media coverage ahead of this year’s elections has been no different than in years past, an expert said Monday, with many journalists and their media outlets biased or subsidized by politics.
“If people do not understand clearly about each political party’s platform, or personality of politicians, these experiences make it difficult of them to decide in electing politicians,” said Moeun Chhean Nariddh, a journalism trainer who was guest on “Hello VOA” Monday.
Observers have warned that the ruling Cambodian People’s Party enjoys much more thorough coverage in the months leading to elections, from radio, TV and newspapers.
Moeun Chhean Nariddh said most of the country’s 22 radio stations broadcast in favor of the ruling party, as well as seven TV stations, including National TVK.
Of all the media, newspapers are the least biased, but even they are politically influenced, he said.
That was no help to rural voters, many of whom are illiterate and rely on radio and TV for information.
Cambodia can and should seek independent news coverage, following the examples of the UK, Australia and Canada he said. Some countries have state media the works independently and even criticizes the government, he added.
“If people do not understand clearly about each political party’s platform, or personality of politicians, these experiences make it difficult of them to decide in electing politicians,” said Moeun Chhean Nariddh, a journalism trainer who was guest on “Hello VOA” Monday.
Observers have warned that the ruling Cambodian People’s Party enjoys much more thorough coverage in the months leading to elections, from radio, TV and newspapers.
Moeun Chhean Nariddh said most of the country’s 22 radio stations broadcast in favor of the ruling party, as well as seven TV stations, including National TVK.
Of all the media, newspapers are the least biased, but even they are politically influenced, he said.
That was no help to rural voters, many of whom are illiterate and rely on radio and TV for information.
Cambodia can and should seek independent news coverage, following the examples of the UK, Australia and Canada he said. Some countries have state media the works independently and even criticizes the government, he added.
4 comments:
Cambodia can and should seek independent news coverage, following the examples of the UK, Australia and Canada he said.
If you think that Australian, Canadian, UK media are unbiased than you are wrong. On the surface, they seemed to be neutral but if one have time go through the editorial section then will find some surprise package beneath the story
So true, the Media is still gravely bias for oppositions. Everywhere I go online, I see opposition this and that. Thus, government must take immediate action to resolve this issue in order to preserve a free and fair democratic election in Cambodia.
11:29am, man how many Cambodians are online?
Like hard copy paper news is widely allowed by CPP government b/c CPP knows well that only 5% Cambodian peoples read newspaper.
It is imperative that the major farmers of Cambodians should not be more savaged than the minor rich and high ranking officers. This kind of social gap had been dictated by the Khmer Rouge, but unfortunately KR pursued their public policy depended on personal egoistic leadership, not legal principles. Aristotle had clearly elaborated of what he said "in a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme" is wholly mediated by the rule of law.
Rule of law is the core of democracy to creating social equity. Without law, a nation could not be called a nation-state. Cambodia is not a nation-state under Hun Sen's leadership. Hun Sen is the law, above the law, and the leviathan.
If we observe closely to the leadership of Hun Sen, there have been gradually failed for Cambodia's advancement. They are such as:
1. Since 1993 to present, the national resources which are the backbone of nation wealth has been depleted. Adam Smith clarified the progress of nation-state wholly depends on the rightly use of national resources to sustain its social, economic and politics. But how this idea rightly implemented in Cambodia? While the national resources have been depleted and continuously deprived, the living standard of Cambodians are under poverty line, state cannot afford the raise the decent wage of public officers and workers/labors. Farmers are suffered by climate change such as drought or flood and land grabbing.
2. Cambodia has received foreign aids to improve its social, economic and politics. If we think of the debt loans, individually each Cambodian has to reserve their debt $1500 to $2500 that this surely upset Cambodian younger generation. But those money have little bettered Cambodian society. While the debt is increasing but the living standard is decreasing in the period of these 15 years.
3. Political leader requires political will. Sh/e has to change the perception of "power thirsty" to "nation-building". In this manner, Hun Sen leadership is not different from Cambodian previous leaders that from time to time, from day to day, he has triumphally projected to sustain and increase his power, not to build the nation. Cambodian nation has moved forward only according to the change of the world and demographic, not according to the willingness and ability of its incumbent leader.
Social stability is truly imperative for Hun Sen to stabilize Hun Sen's power. It is not genuinely originating from Hun Sen's political will to safeguard the sustainability of future Cambodia. Some roads, schools, hospitals, commercial buildings surely come from the huge influx of foreign aids, economic liberalization, globalization, and transnational flows of investment. They are not genuinely coming from the will of leader for true development.
4. Democracy actually built by the peoples who are full of knowledge. Many countries have facilitated the rule of law, education, and government system to be flexible for future national transcendence. To achieve this willing and pioneering, many world well-known leaders step down from power in order to have a positive change for their nation.
But Cambodia under Hun Sen leadership is contradict that the rule of law has not enforced. Corruption, favoritism, nepotism and patronage are widespread practicing throughout the country. Education to empower knowledge to the people for the need of democracy reformation has been gradually deteriorated. The national mass media that is the very important source for public education is being manipulated and subverted by the government. TVK or CTN or other TV stations including Radios are working for the CPP propaganda. This mass media is poisoning Cambodian peoples. Gigantic influence and information bombardment are singly inclining one side without fair judgment. This kind of the mass media is the clue of division and ignorance stage for the citizens. Democracy requires mass media to be neutral and balancing the point of view from all sides.
Internally, CPP under genuine nationalistic leadership certainly requires courage to stand up to reform the current contamination. CPP as one of the main national party should focus on the "nation-building" not "power-thirsty" or "kleptocracy".
CPP can be a role model to strengthen the rule of law, creating the neutral Buddhist monks, neutral public officers, neutral military, neutral policemen, especially neutral mass media.
Under Hun Sen leadership, CPP has tremendously failed to develop the country though huge national natural resources depleted, huge aids granted, huge debt loans increased, and peoples in general are still weak to embed the foundation of democracy and brighter future of Cambodia.
SRP comes as the ideal of democracy and new hope of brighter future for Cambodia that CPP should shoulder to operate a genuine "nation-building".
KY
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