Ms. Ambassador Carol A. Rodley
The US Ambassador to Cambodia
Dear Ms. Ambassador,
We are writing today to seek your intervention over an improper action that the management of Radio Free Asia-Khmer Service (RFA) has taken against one reporter and two editors.
Let us brief you the background stories. On Sunday, September 20th 2009, our reporter Mrs. Seang Sophorn received verbal notice from RFA-Khmer Service Director Mr. Kem Sos that her contract to be terminated on September 30th by saying that RFA has ran out of budget. Mrs. Sophorn told us about her issue that “this is unfair, injustice, and abuse of the labor law because the termination is in a short notice and without legitimate reasons.”
On September 23rd, we, eight staff, sent email to Mr. Kem Sos urging to reconsider Mr. Sophorn’s case in the hope she might be able to get back to work. In the meantime, we met RFA Vice President Mr. Dan Southerland to extend to him our grievances and seek his intervention on Mrs. Sophorn’s case. We shared our view with Mr. Dan that “this action set not a good example, but fear, dread and unhealthy working environment. This action may also generate the question who will be the next?” Surprisingly, a day after the meeting with Mr. Vice President, Mrs. Sophorn received the phone call ordering her to leave RFA-Phnom Penh office right away.
On September 25th, Mr. Kem Sos organized a special meeting with three of us who joint the meeting with Mr. Vice President. The meeting lasted about 3 minutes. He said that RFA needs to restructure staff and this is the policy from the top management in Washington DC. No discussion. Mr. Kem Sos announced that your contracts were terminated and this is your last day with RFA.
We had worked for RFA for four years to support for freedom of expression and just cause. We consider the action against us is to silence those speak the truth and dare to defense innocence colleagues. This act clearly violates basic human rights and the law.
Therefore, we urge you to convey our grievances to the US Congress, the Senate and American tax-payers. We also urge you to call on RFA management not to punish and fire other staff the way they did to us.
Sincerely yours,
Ath Bonny (alias Phan Sophat), editor
Huy Vannak, editor
Seang Sophorn, reporter
Thai Sothea, Web editor
For more information, please contact:
Phan Sophat at 016-958-808
Huy Vannak at 011-248-299; email: huy_vannak@yahoo.com
cc:
The US Ambassador to Cambodia
Dear Ms. Ambassador,
We are writing today to seek your intervention over an improper action that the management of Radio Free Asia-Khmer Service (RFA) has taken against one reporter and two editors.
Let us brief you the background stories. On Sunday, September 20th 2009, our reporter Mrs. Seang Sophorn received verbal notice from RFA-Khmer Service Director Mr. Kem Sos that her contract to be terminated on September 30th by saying that RFA has ran out of budget. Mrs. Sophorn told us about her issue that “this is unfair, injustice, and abuse of the labor law because the termination is in a short notice and without legitimate reasons.”
On September 23rd, we, eight staff, sent email to Mr. Kem Sos urging to reconsider Mr. Sophorn’s case in the hope she might be able to get back to work. In the meantime, we met RFA Vice President Mr. Dan Southerland to extend to him our grievances and seek his intervention on Mrs. Sophorn’s case. We shared our view with Mr. Dan that “this action set not a good example, but fear, dread and unhealthy working environment. This action may also generate the question who will be the next?” Surprisingly, a day after the meeting with Mr. Vice President, Mrs. Sophorn received the phone call ordering her to leave RFA-Phnom Penh office right away.
On September 25th, Mr. Kem Sos organized a special meeting with three of us who joint the meeting with Mr. Vice President. The meeting lasted about 3 minutes. He said that RFA needs to restructure staff and this is the policy from the top management in Washington DC. No discussion. Mr. Kem Sos announced that your contracts were terminated and this is your last day with RFA.
We had worked for RFA for four years to support for freedom of expression and just cause. We consider the action against us is to silence those speak the truth and dare to defense innocence colleagues. This act clearly violates basic human rights and the law.
Therefore, we urge you to convey our grievances to the US Congress, the Senate and American tax-payers. We also urge you to call on RFA management not to punish and fire other staff the way they did to us.
Sincerely yours,
Ath Bonny (alias Phan Sophat), editor
Huy Vannak, editor
Seang Sophorn, reporter
Thai Sothea, Web editor
For more information, please contact:
Phan Sophat at 016-958-808
Huy Vannak at 011-248-299; email: huy_vannak@yahoo.com
cc:
- The Media
- Human Rights Organizations
- Journalist Associations
20 comments:
Re-arrange words in your topic, dude.
Come on, Mr. Kem Sos, come forward to explain about that. We readers want to know the inside truth of the matters.
I hope Mr. Kem Sos will be kindly to consideration for RFA staff in Cambodia.
Those staff all is Khmer people, no one suffer than khmer, so please think about that.
I'm living in the 3th country have admire to all the broadcasting RFA in Cambodia their life is stand with fear and dangerous as we all know.
We all Khmer people!
It may not be entirely Kem Sos decision but more likely by the VP Dan Southerland? who's under kickback or under pressure?
Kem Sos himself should be kickout from RFA a long time ago.
Khmer Oversea,
Dan Southelan who bring all this problem. Dan you from Khmer people blood, and you like to destroy yourown people. You should think soon or later it your turn against.
Only khmer people get hurt not Youn or American, use your brain body.
I know who you are, don't think you can away for ever. All this staff just get a little pay from RFA, their life living in dangerous everyday, they do the best to bring all the good news, but you not a shame for what you doing.
Kem Sos has alot of friends from CPP, maybe he learned it from them . Kem Sos is not the President of RFA , why does he have the authority to fire people on spot like that ?
Anyway , I never like the way Kem Sos does his job , just listen to the way he interview poeple , he sounds just like a guy from the farm who has never been going to school. He should have been fired long time ago.
This is unacceptable to have RFA operate in this manner. What happen to the America's values who champion democracy and the rule of law. What happened here was not just at all.
I ask that Mr. Kem Sos and/or Mr. Dan Southerland to come out and issue their version of the story, or reinstate the employment status for these four employees.
Is this what Barrack Obama's "Change - WE BELIEVE!"?
This is America's affair, unlawful dismissal cannot be tolerated by any employer.
Khmer-Canadian citizen,
Toronto,Canada
Year ago I sent an Email to RFA complaining about Kes Sos the way he called some of those big shots. He called Hun Sen Somdech Hun Sen way before Hun Sen had that tittle . I said to RFA that I feel so uncomfortible whenever I hear Kem Sos calls Prime Minister Hun Sen Somdech Hun Sen . As a jurnalist , he should call Hun Sen Prime Minister Hun Sen instead of Somdech Hun Sen just to be fair and independent .
why kem soy plz hun sen?May be Kem soy has some land in cambodia. if you're independent journalist ,you call whoever Lok that's enough.
recenlty the relationship between US Govt and Cambodia Govtis in progressed ,then it is a time for Us Govt to Please Hun Sen Govt ,that why the RFA staffs who used to Blame Hun Sen regime had been sacrificed .
I believe Mr Kem Sos want to kick out of Khmer people out from his station and put back ben ladin in?
So you fucking bitch Mr Kem Sos.
Dear 1:52 AM
I agree that Kim Sos, sorry to say, is not competent in Khmer language. He speaks broken Khmer. I thought about that long time ago. I'm glad you mentioned that.
Howver,I disagree and uncomfortable with your assumption about farmers. As you may know there are many city people who are also illiterate.
.......
From Former Farmer/Country boy
This complain letter should be sent to:
Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)
330 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20237
Tel: (202) 203-4400
Fax: (202) 203-4585
E-mail: publicaffairs@bbg.gov
www.bbg.gov
US Ambassador in Cambodia doesn't know about this. You should send to Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), so they can investigate.
Just start looking for another job.Will ya?.
American tax-payers request Us Congress to retire Mr. Kem SOs.Old dog is hard to learn new trick.
The complainants have no clue how much the boss can say and do to employee.
Boss is always right.
Remember,if they can hire you that goes the same they can fire you too at any time,any place and need not to explain why.
Waste no more time and tears over the lost battle.This ranting and tantrum will not be favorable for the future/prospected employers.
Think a bit harder,as far as job termination concerned,nothing personal but business only.
So beef up Resume and CV and start looking for job at other places,please.
What happened to Khmer pouj niak khlaa harn and reung peung.
Stop whining, where is your Khmer dignity????
Employees laid off or terminated from jobs in a bad economy like this is happening every day, and nothing anyone can do about it. RFA is not the one agency who laid off or fired employees.
Kem Sos and all the managers in all companies or agencies are not in positions to do whatever they want, but when the agency run out of money, somebody get to go.
RFA is a non-profit organization, it makes no money, but supported and financed by the US government. Since RFA financed by American tax payers, and while the US ecomony is sinking, million Americans losing their jobs, RFA can be shut down still no one can do anything about it.
Just that Kem Sos is the manager he is the only person who got blame. He has no power to fire or to keep, it's the budget department who informed him and his colleagues that in their RFA's account is zero. Kem Sos himself can be laid off in any minute.
Million more laid off are on the way in all departments not only a few employees in RFA.
Cambodian governments need to be more open to our society by allowing the freedom of speech for individuals. Governments need to learn to step into a world of having a sense of humour. Like Aust, people can make a joke with their political leaders without getting into trouble. The freedom of speech means is not always that serious and Political leaders no need to make a big deal out of this, like a resting workers or editors and imprisonment them, in doing so to shut them up and so on. This is wrong, good governments don't need to use and abuse their power. They should be more focused on what needs to be done to improve the quality of life for individual. e.g. create a welfare system like all for one and one for all and at this stage, Khmer government seems to be a bit too slow in putting new infrastructures; I also think governments need to lean to move away from personal conflicts. Be focused on improvement between one country to the next like Asian nation money calls “Siano” equal to European nation called “Euro”. We must think about what is more productive? E.g. everyone is equally important (one death is too many) at the sometimes we need to have a birth control rate (two children per family or one if necessarily.
Kem Sos has a lot of friends from CPP, maybe he learned it from them .I know who you are, don't think you can away for ever. All this staff just get a little pay from RFA, their life living in dangerous everyday, they do the best to bring all the good news, but you not a shame for what you doing.
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