Original report from Phnom Penh
23 May 2008
New York-based Human Rights Watch condemned Friday the ban by the government on the Cambodia Daily newspaper’s attempt to publish a supplemental insert, the “Burma Daily.”
By banning the insert, the Cambodian government was covering up abuses and other flaws of the Burmese junta, Human Rights Watch said.
Authorities have ordered copies of the insert to be seized.
“Cambodia’s press censorship on behalf of Burma’s abusive military government is shameless,” said Human Rights Watch Asia Director Brad Adams.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith dismissed the call, saying Adams did not understand Cambodia’s press law.
Cambodia Daily publisher Bernard Krisher said the insert does not require a separate license to publish, as claimed by the Information Ministry.
By banning the insert, the Cambodian government was covering up abuses and other flaws of the Burmese junta, Human Rights Watch said.
Authorities have ordered copies of the insert to be seized.
“Cambodia’s press censorship on behalf of Burma’s abusive military government is shameless,” said Human Rights Watch Asia Director Brad Adams.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith dismissed the call, saying Adams did not understand Cambodia’s press law.
Cambodia Daily publisher Bernard Krisher said the insert does not require a separate license to publish, as claimed by the Information Ministry.
7 comments:
New York-based Human Rights Watch condemned Friday the ban by the government on the Cambodia Daily newspaper’s attempt to publish a supplemental insert, the “Burma Daily.
Human Rights Watch is out of touch with the reality.
Why don't the UK Daily telegraph, Australia Daily Telegraph, Thailnad Post or New York Time carry the so called insert "Burma Daily"?
Why suddenly Cambodia Daily started carrying insert "Burma Daily" instead of publishing the news from Burma in its international news section?
If Cambodia Daily is smart enough they would not call their insert "Burma Daily" which give the Government the unprecedent objection in the 1st place but they deliberately do that to stir the situation.
Please leave Cambodia alone, the freedom of press in Cambodia is much better than any ASEAN member countries.
By saying so, recognized that there's always room for improvement, however, what Cambodia Daily did is unacceptable in particular at this very moment.
No problem, just like Mr. Bush.
You can call Bush and/or Bushi.
He could have two names at the same time.
So, the same for Brad Adams.
You can call him Brad Adams, or Bram Adads.
You have license from US government to import Red Wine. If you want to import Black wine, no problem. You do not need to ask for a different license because Read Wine and Black Wine are wine. So they are the same.
So if have you license from US government to export Toyota tourist car, you can export any trucks raking from tractors, sewing machine....
because Toyota car is a machine, so is the tractors , sewing machine etc.
It came as no surprise, as we know that the current dictatorial Hun Sen Government and the disgusting Burma military Junta are only one.
Luckily I managed to get and keep 2copies of the Burma Daily.
You have to wonder what the publishers of the Daily are thinking. If they insert another newspaper that is not legally registered with the Ministry, it gives the RGC the right to object to its distribution. If they wanted to print articles on Burma or even editorials the RGC would have been in the wrong if they prevented distribution of the Daily. As far as Human Rights Watch's condemnation, unfortunately it does carry weight in the world opinion, but personally I don't think this is a clear cut case of a HR violation for the above reasons.
The entire news should be banned for using Cambodia to wage war against Burma.
The Cambodia Daily can do another way: publish news from Burma in the section "Regional news".
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