By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
14 July 2008
Moneaksekar Khmer, one of only two opposition newspapers remaining in Cambodia, will be selective in subsequent stories, a staff reporter said.
The murders of an opposition journalist and his son in Phnom Penh Friday night have sent a ripple of self-censorship through his old newspaper, journalists said Monday.
Khim Sambor, 47, and his 21-year-old son, Khat Sarinpheata, were gunned down as they drove on a motorbike near Olympic Stadium Friday evening, just 16 days away from a national election.
Khim Sambor died at the scene, and his son died at a local hospital a few hours later. Both men were cremated in a Buddhist ceremony Sunday.
The killings have meant a change in the way Moneaksekar Khmer will operate, the editor said Monday.
"We don't know if there will be other pressure after the murders. We must be very careful, even for security, and in the work," the editor, Dam Sith, said. "We are afraid that if we write something risky, it could bring us in front of accusations."
Dam Sith was held in jail for a week last month following a story he ran implicating Foreign Minister Hor Namhong as a member of the Khmer Rouge.
He was released when Hor Namhong dropped defamation charges against him, and Dam Sith swore at the time to continue his pro-opposition coverage of the country.
Now, his stories will reflect a more cautious editorial approach. Self-censorship on the meaning of story text and the choice of words will change, he said.
"The murder of Khim Sambor is a serious threat against Moneaksekar Khmer," Dam Sith said. "We are worried now for the whole staff as they are reporting, and when they get back home."
Other Moneaksekar Khmer journalists echoed Dam Sith's concerns.
"We are concerned in accomplishing our jobs," said Vong Sopheak, a reporter for the newspaper. "We don't know what will happen to us, and so we must be more careful. We don't want to have a confrontation. And now we are selective of the information and selective of the topic."
Khim Sambor had covered politics, including the reporting of stories on government corruption, for the newspaper, which is affiliated with the Sam Rainsy Party.
Human rights groups said his murder was likely due to his reporting. Khim Sambor had reported for many years, and focused on conflicts, election irregularities, illegal logging, fisheries crimes, land grabbing, "which are related to powerful Cambodian officials," the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee said in a statement. His murder was likely related to his reporting, the group said.
The killings were roundly condemned by local and international rights groups.
"Allowing this murder to go unpunished would have a considerable impact on the 27 July elections, and we therefore hope the investigation will produce quick results," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement Saturday.
Moneaksekar Khmer is only one of two opposition newspapers.
A third, Sralanh Khmer, began reporting from a pro-Cambodian People's Party point of view following the defection to the ruling party of its top editor, Thach Keth, who is now a CPP undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Information.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy called Khim Sambor's killing a political assassination and called for an immediate investigation.
"When one who dares to write or argue against those with absolute power is assassinated, the perpetrators behind the killing are never found nor tried according to the law," he said in a statement Saturday. "This clearly demonstrates the nature of those in power."
Sam Rainsy also called for further investigations into murders of other opposition supporters, including labor leader Chea Vichea, parliamentarian Om Rasadie, "as well as countless numbers of journalists, political activists and others."
Police have made no arrests in Friday's killings.
The US Embassy issued a statement Monday offering the help of its Federal Bureau of Investigation office "if requested by the Cambodian government."
The murders of an opposition journalist and his son in Phnom Penh Friday night have sent a ripple of self-censorship through his old newspaper, journalists said Monday.
Khim Sambor, 47, and his 21-year-old son, Khat Sarinpheata, were gunned down as they drove on a motorbike near Olympic Stadium Friday evening, just 16 days away from a national election.
Khim Sambor died at the scene, and his son died at a local hospital a few hours later. Both men were cremated in a Buddhist ceremony Sunday.
The killings have meant a change in the way Moneaksekar Khmer will operate, the editor said Monday.
"We don't know if there will be other pressure after the murders. We must be very careful, even for security, and in the work," the editor, Dam Sith, said. "We are afraid that if we write something risky, it could bring us in front of accusations."
Dam Sith was held in jail for a week last month following a story he ran implicating Foreign Minister Hor Namhong as a member of the Khmer Rouge.
He was released when Hor Namhong dropped defamation charges against him, and Dam Sith swore at the time to continue his pro-opposition coverage of the country.
Now, his stories will reflect a more cautious editorial approach. Self-censorship on the meaning of story text and the choice of words will change, he said.
"The murder of Khim Sambor is a serious threat against Moneaksekar Khmer," Dam Sith said. "We are worried now for the whole staff as they are reporting, and when they get back home."
Other Moneaksekar Khmer journalists echoed Dam Sith's concerns.
"We are concerned in accomplishing our jobs," said Vong Sopheak, a reporter for the newspaper. "We don't know what will happen to us, and so we must be more careful. We don't want to have a confrontation. And now we are selective of the information and selective of the topic."
Khim Sambor had covered politics, including the reporting of stories on government corruption, for the newspaper, which is affiliated with the Sam Rainsy Party.
Human rights groups said his murder was likely due to his reporting. Khim Sambor had reported for many years, and focused on conflicts, election irregularities, illegal logging, fisheries crimes, land grabbing, "which are related to powerful Cambodian officials," the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee said in a statement. His murder was likely related to his reporting, the group said.
The killings were roundly condemned by local and international rights groups.
"Allowing this murder to go unpunished would have a considerable impact on the 27 July elections, and we therefore hope the investigation will produce quick results," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement Saturday.
Moneaksekar Khmer is only one of two opposition newspapers.
A third, Sralanh Khmer, began reporting from a pro-Cambodian People's Party point of view following the defection to the ruling party of its top editor, Thach Keth, who is now a CPP undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Information.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy called Khim Sambor's killing a political assassination and called for an immediate investigation.
"When one who dares to write or argue against those with absolute power is assassinated, the perpetrators behind the killing are never found nor tried according to the law," he said in a statement Saturday. "This clearly demonstrates the nature of those in power."
Sam Rainsy also called for further investigations into murders of other opposition supporters, including labor leader Chea Vichea, parliamentarian Om Rasadie, "as well as countless numbers of journalists, political activists and others."
Police have made no arrests in Friday's killings.
The US Embassy issued a statement Monday offering the help of its Federal Bureau of Investigation office "if requested by the Cambodian government."
6 comments:
Let use FBI, CPP to show you are clean!
The real judgement day is coming soon for the CPP "currupted punks party "".
judgement came for iraqi saddam hussein. He didn't know, When judgement came , even the hole he hided in couldn't save him.
CPP, the powerful you are, the harder you will cracks like broken glasses.
soon, it will be broken glasses you are to be CPP.
Hah Hun Sen and his families and his CPP will go to hell.
Come on, folks! Every overseas U.S. embassy has FBI and CIA agents oversees by the Ambassador.Also, the U.S. does not want Cambodia to undergo another killing fields, thus to protect U.S. interests. That said, the U.S. is lobbying the ruling party to win the upcoming general election. Plus, the U.S. has put a lot of money for the U.S. embassy building.
Now many US Banks are going to close soon within 18 months, the US only is interested $$ go to its pocket.
China too looks for $$, watching to get something from Vietnam, if Vietnam goes close to the US.
If Vietnam does not give what China wants, China will support Rainsy.
It is good to see SRP keeps growing.
It is good to have two superpower US and China in Cambodia.
If only one US, we already knew the US is more interested to protect Vietnam (85M) and Thailand (65M) for its own interest.
So two superpower US and China is good for us.
Stocks keep dropping, everything can happen.
Nonsense, how can the SRP growing when more than half of it leaders defected?
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