Voice of America
Phnom Penh
27 May 2008
With just two months to go before a general election in Cambodia, a report on the news media says that local journalists regularly face interference from the business and political elite. It says journalists work in a climate of fear in Cambodia and that there is impunity for those who threaten or kill them, allegations the government rejects. Rory Byrne has more from Phnom Penh.
The report found that over half of Cambodian journalists live in fear of physical or legal attack. Most say they are pressured to cover stories with a political bias.
"They have political bias because the conditions that they work push them to do that, you know, because their newspaper were supported by one political party, but mostly the ruling party," said Kek Galabru, the president of Licadho, the Cambodian rights group that produced the report.
All of Cambodia's television stations, and the bulk of its radio stations, are owned by people close to the ruling Cambodian People's Party. Galabru says the owners use those outlets to gain political advantage.
"Concerning the electronic media - the government controls (it) very tightly," Galabru noted. "They know that it makes a big impact on the public opinion. There is no single one - concerning television - that belongs to (an) independent voice."
With the election in July, campaign observers complain about what they call excessive pro-government content on the airwaves. Koul Panha is heads the Committee for Free and Fair Elections.
"The election process in Cambodia [does] not reach to international standard [for a] free and fair election," Panha said. "The key measure of importance is the media - equal access to the media. But in the Cambodian context it's not like that - you can see the TV - 84 percent of political coverage is still in favor to the ruling party."
The minister of information, Khieu Kanharith, denies that the media favors the government.
"You know the people criticizing this, or assert these allegations, most of the time they are not really journalists," Kanharith said. "They don't understand the job or sometimes they didn't listen to the radio or watch the TV. And if everyone can read Khmer, or listen [to] Khmer, they know well that we have real freedom here."
The Licadho report also says there is little risk for those who threaten or kill journalists.
"We found at least nine that were killed for their work and none of the perpetrators was brought to justice so it sends a very strong message that there is impunity for the one that wants to attack the journalists," Galabru said.
The government disputes the number of journalists killed and denies that killers go unpunished.
"They say nine were killed - are you sure they got killed? Two or three - traffic accident," Kanharith said. "When you are a journalist killed it doesn't mean politically killed. When [Prime Minister] Hun Sen's brother was killed, until now also we couldn't find the murderer. Nobody says 'Why don't you go to find Hun Sen's brothers killer?'"
The minister says journalists can, and do, write and say what they want, including attacking Prime Minister Hun Sen.
"If you [are] scared you cannot accuse Hun Sen of being a Vietnamese puppet, as a thief, as the most corrupt family or anything. Read the newspaper, listen to the radio - you can see it. If they [are] really scared, how you can put it?" Kanharith asked.
Rights activists, however, say that critical voices find it hard to get heard in Cambodia. Koul Panha of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections says the authorities should do more to ensure fair access to the media.
"The Cambodian government, and the National Electoral Commission must make more effort to encourage the state media and the private media [to] open [themselves] to all political parties," said Panha. "If they can do that they will contribute a lot to the improved election environment and electoral process in Cambodia."
The Licadho report calls on the government to pass a law guaranteeing the electronic media's independence. It also calls for abolishing prison sentences for defamation, misinformation and incitement, and for media owners to increase salaries for journalists to make them less susceptible to bribery.
The report found that over half of Cambodian journalists live in fear of physical or legal attack. Most say they are pressured to cover stories with a political bias.
"They have political bias because the conditions that they work push them to do that, you know, because their newspaper were supported by one political party, but mostly the ruling party," said Kek Galabru, the president of Licadho, the Cambodian rights group that produced the report.
All of Cambodia's television stations, and the bulk of its radio stations, are owned by people close to the ruling Cambodian People's Party. Galabru says the owners use those outlets to gain political advantage.
"Concerning the electronic media - the government controls (it) very tightly," Galabru noted. "They know that it makes a big impact on the public opinion. There is no single one - concerning television - that belongs to (an) independent voice."
With the election in July, campaign observers complain about what they call excessive pro-government content on the airwaves. Koul Panha is heads the Committee for Free and Fair Elections.
"The election process in Cambodia [does] not reach to international standard [for a] free and fair election," Panha said. "The key measure of importance is the media - equal access to the media. But in the Cambodian context it's not like that - you can see the TV - 84 percent of political coverage is still in favor to the ruling party."
The minister of information, Khieu Kanharith, denies that the media favors the government.
"You know the people criticizing this, or assert these allegations, most of the time they are not really journalists," Kanharith said. "They don't understand the job or sometimes they didn't listen to the radio or watch the TV. And if everyone can read Khmer, or listen [to] Khmer, they know well that we have real freedom here."
The Licadho report also says there is little risk for those who threaten or kill journalists.
"We found at least nine that were killed for their work and none of the perpetrators was brought to justice so it sends a very strong message that there is impunity for the one that wants to attack the journalists," Galabru said.
The government disputes the number of journalists killed and denies that killers go unpunished.
"They say nine were killed - are you sure they got killed? Two or three - traffic accident," Kanharith said. "When you are a journalist killed it doesn't mean politically killed. When [Prime Minister] Hun Sen's brother was killed, until now also we couldn't find the murderer. Nobody says 'Why don't you go to find Hun Sen's brothers killer?'"
The minister says journalists can, and do, write and say what they want, including attacking Prime Minister Hun Sen.
"If you [are] scared you cannot accuse Hun Sen of being a Vietnamese puppet, as a thief, as the most corrupt family or anything. Read the newspaper, listen to the radio - you can see it. If they [are] really scared, how you can put it?" Kanharith asked.
Rights activists, however, say that critical voices find it hard to get heard in Cambodia. Koul Panha of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections says the authorities should do more to ensure fair access to the media.
"The Cambodian government, and the National Electoral Commission must make more effort to encourage the state media and the private media [to] open [themselves] to all political parties," said Panha. "If they can do that they will contribute a lot to the improved election environment and electoral process in Cambodia."
The Licadho report calls on the government to pass a law guaranteeing the electronic media's independence. It also calls for abolishing prison sentences for defamation, misinformation and incitement, and for media owners to increase salaries for journalists to make them less susceptible to bribery.
13 comments:
It has happened like that all along since before the 1993 election.
That's correct, and we'll have to ban them if they don't stop spamming.
Waht can you do, they are controlling every thing ( Police, Army, and court of justice ) like before the Khmere rouge!
Thank for good intention UNTAC!
បោះឆ្នោត ថ្ងៃ ២៧ កក្កដា ២០០៨ មានតែ ពីរ ជំរើស ៖
- បោះឆ្នោត អោយជនក្បត់ជាតិ (អាក្បត់ជាតិហ៊ុន សែន បំរើផលប្រយោជយួន)
ឬ
- បោះឆ្នោត ជូនអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិ (ឯកឧត្តមសម រង្ស៊ី បំរើផលប្រយោជខ្មែរ)
Two sides of the Cambodian vote on July 27, 2008, vote for :
- Traitor (ah Hun Sen youn servant, CPP: Communist Pro youn Party)
or
- Patriot (H.E. Sam Rainsy khmer servant, SRP: Sam Rainsy Party)
Khmer farmer
the one have killer force and controle every thing will win!
Thank to hell UN!
There is nothing to fear but fear itself. These accusations are balony and for political gain that's all.
Yep.
Gentleman
I can feel that there are lots of frustration regarding maturity of cambodian government. As consequences, our nation has suffered greatly. There are a lot can be blamed, most would be human resources where the killing took place in many sequences.
Being trusted and left to spreme national council without UN supervision is tactically wrong, of which led to believe that former king betrayed the nation.
We as the nation, social groups can do more when the king accepts potential roles in waving social structures and more decisive. Monarchy constitution indicates clearly, NOT as manipulated as " REIGN BUT NOT RULE". Many khmer heroes set example, under the kingdom, our king should take the tasks.
Key to unlock is our constitution, where a number of international communities committed to peace agreement in 1991.
Yash Ghai has tried his best, but the rest is our king, as the country is a kingdom.
The culture of impunity has affected our nation very, very...badly.
One day we will see our true personal conflicts and our national conflicts clearly.
Neang SA
Bias is something that could not be wipped out anywhere around the world whether it is an electronic media, newspaper, radio or TV station but it is a matter the level one bias towards a particular party.
If one thing that there is no such thing in democratic world then they have to rethink about it again and again.
For instant, if one could conduct a survey of all local and international NGO in Cambodia, one would be surprised that 90% of them are critizing the RGC for everything, however, they hardly giving any credit to RGC but support the SRP.
If one think that this is not bias then lord help them for their actions.
That is correct; there are too many anti-Khmer here, particularly Ah Khmer-Yuon.
Well, what about the fucking Viet troller, plunderer and parasite like yourself @4:49 AM not to mention your gangs like KJE and Free-thinker Viet's slave there huh, you s.o.b?
If the media is not doing their job as they supposed to do, than I don't see anything wrong with banning them from the country. Cambodia is not a wild wild west, and they should get that into their thick skulls.
Cambodia is not a wild wild in thwest, but its'vicious dictator is a wild wild animal in the east intoxicated with uncotrollable pride.
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