Friday, November 13, 2009

Letter from Phnom Penh

November 13, 2009
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

What they feared was questions from Thai journalists
Cambodia is relatively open for foreign journalists to report everything happening in the country but coverage of this visit by former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is different. It is no big deal for local and international journalists to report Thaksin's high profile visit.

Cambodian authorities allowed them access to Thaksin when he landed in Phnom Penh airport Tuesday. Some local journalists and those who accompanied Thaksin were selected to attend a press briefing on Wednesday. Many local and foreign journalists were allowed to briefly attend Thaksin's lecture at the Economic and Finance Ministry Thursday.

However all coverage was off-limits to Thai journalists. They were not allowed to cover Thaksin's economics lecture, which was the highlight of the visit.

Thai journalists of all kind in print and broadcasting were blocked to hanging around near the fence of the ministry where Thaksin delivered his speech.

There was a brief push-and-pull action between Thai journalists and Cambodian guards when Thaksin arrived and Thai journalists tried to shout to put questions to him.

At first Thaksin seemed to walk from his car to speak to Thai journalists. But finally Cambodian security guards stopped and pushed him into the meeting room.

I tried to utilise my Khmer-looking appearance to snake into the meeting venue but failed as a security guard recognised me. A few guards later escorted me out of the ministry compound, and that's the end of story.

In fact, the content of Thaksin's lecture was no secret and Cambodian authorities released the whole lecture through National Television Kampuchea. And Thaksin's media also broadcast it yesterday.

What they feared was questions from Thai journalists.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't you know that Hun Sen hates thais.

Anonymous said...

To HUN SEN,

In the future who knows the Thai could send one of their spy in the conferences room with that has modern GPS hide in their Video Camera..

Government must provide them the Camera from the News Depart.

Can't trust Thai now...

Anonymous said...

shut-up already. khmer people don't hate all thai people, we only hated the ones who wanted to damage cambodia and steal, etc., from cambodia, that all! because we don't think all thais are bad, just the ones that caused or created problems are the ones we hated the most, really! so, get educated and don't use critical thinking when open your foul-mouths, ok! that said, of course, we don't have the magic cure to make all khmer people love thai people or siem people, ok. only time and good merit and good karma will cure all hatred with khmer people, ok! so, keep on praying; it's better than using your ignorant, foul-mouth at cambodia, ok!

Anonymous said...

Don't just act like the Thai PM keeping blah blah blah but ended up apology to Hun Sen making Hun Sen civilized than the Thai PM Kasit.

Anonymous said...

Don't just act like the Thai PM keeping blah blah blah but ended up apology to Hun Sen making Hun Sen civilized than the Thai PM Kasit.