Original report from Phnom Penh
29 May 2009
Phnom Penh Municipal Court called an opposition journalist in for questioning Friday over articles he published on corruption and the cabinet minister.
Hang Chakra, director of the Khmer Mchas Srok newspaper, ran two stories alleging that Council Minister Sok An was involved in corruption.
One article praised Prime Minister Hun Sen for “destroying” corrupt officials surrounding Sok An.
Sok An is a deputy prime minister and one of the most powerful officials in government. He oversees matters concerning the Khmer Rouge tribunal and oil exploration, among others.
Rights workers and monitors maintain that Cambodia’s media environment, while technically free, remains fettered by political influence.
Last year, the editor of opposition newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer, Dam Sith, was jailed in a suit brought by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.
Later, a journalist for Moneaksekar Khmer, Khim Sambor, was murdered. No one has been arrested for the killing.
Hang Chakra, director of the Khmer Mchas Srok newspaper, ran two stories alleging that Council Minister Sok An was involved in corruption.
One article praised Prime Minister Hun Sen for “destroying” corrupt officials surrounding Sok An.
Sok An is a deputy prime minister and one of the most powerful officials in government. He oversees matters concerning the Khmer Rouge tribunal and oil exploration, among others.
Rights workers and monitors maintain that Cambodia’s media environment, while technically free, remains fettered by political influence.
Last year, the editor of opposition newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer, Dam Sith, was jailed in a suit brought by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.
Later, a journalist for Moneaksekar Khmer, Khim Sambor, was murdered. No one has been arrested for the killing.
7 comments:
i have been living overseas for more than half of my life but i never saw the government or the government official take the news paper, radio or tv to court for reporting bad things that associate with the government or the government official . in cambodia you can hear that kind of story all the time because they can't face the truth or take criticism from anyone. if you dare to report it you will face consequences . does it sound like dictatorship ?
When the government like cambodia is communist. All the crazy things can happen as the "high official" wishes.
There need to be an uprising.
Corrupted unethical people are very afraid of the truths. So if one tells truth that goes against someone else intrests, the later will do something to shut up the one who tells the truth.
But know that truth set one free with price to pay.
We should know that Cambodia is a free country for the one in power: land, forest, lake, water...oppression, killings, threats, corruption, tribunal, vote... But it is not free for the poors and the needees. they are only slaves to the powerfull and weathies.
God udgement will soon be upon the oppressors of his poeple. Remember what happwn to Khmer Rouge. It will happen again to this oppressive regime soon.
One cannot harvest coconuts if one planted mango trees.
i wish all properties that these corrupted officials own return back to cambodian people. how much their salary per month? $5000?. if they make $5000 a month they can not afford to own so much property. so where the money come from? corruption.
i think they make $ 1.150 a month .
according to the money they make they can't afford , new luxery cars, vila, houses ,land and more . now you know where they got the money from.
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