Hang Chakra, editor-in-chief of Khmer Machas Srok newspaper, is still in jail (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)Minister hails media progress in ’09
Friday, 26 February 2010
Kim Yuthana
The Phnom Penh Post
CAMBODIA’S media sector improved in both quality and quantity in 2009, providing more Cambodian news and entertainment, and moving the country further along the path to freedom of expression, Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said Thursday.
“The media and broadcasting sector in Cambodia has been improving continually, which means a lot of contribution to the strengthening of democracy and guarantees of press freedom in Cambodia,” he said at the launch of the ministry’s annual report.
The minister also applauded the efforts of journalists, who have all “tried their best” to give people the highest-calibre media services possible and to create information links between citizens and the government.
Khieu Kanharith’s comments, however, come just days after a report by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, which documented the government’s legal cases against journalists in 2009.
The report says the jailing of Khmer Machas Srok publisher Hang Chakra in July last year broke a pledge made by Prime Minister Hun Sen in 2006 that journalists would no longer be jailed for what they wrote.
“The jailing of several opposition journalists has cruelly shown that the promise has not been kept. It has been compounded by judicial harassment of government opponents and the journalists who interview them,” it stated.
Moeun Chhean Nariddh, director of the Cambodia Institute for Media Studies, said that even though the media sector in Cambodia had improved remarkably, press freedom had fallen away.
He said that action against journalists now takes the form of defamation lawsuits rather than street violence, but that legal threats are as much an “obstacle” to the proper performance of their profession.
According to a ministry report summing up its work in 2009, Cambodia is now home to 385 national newspapers, 172 national magazines, 43 international newspapers, 28 international magazines, 10 imported newspapers, 11 international news agencies, 21 journalist associations, 133 printing houses and six publishing establishments.
“The media and broadcasting sector in Cambodia has been improving continually, which means a lot of contribution to the strengthening of democracy and guarantees of press freedom in Cambodia,” he said at the launch of the ministry’s annual report.
The minister also applauded the efforts of journalists, who have all “tried their best” to give people the highest-calibre media services possible and to create information links between citizens and the government.
Khieu Kanharith’s comments, however, come just days after a report by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, which documented the government’s legal cases against journalists in 2009.
The report says the jailing of Khmer Machas Srok publisher Hang Chakra in July last year broke a pledge made by Prime Minister Hun Sen in 2006 that journalists would no longer be jailed for what they wrote.
“The jailing of several opposition journalists has cruelly shown that the promise has not been kept. It has been compounded by judicial harassment of government opponents and the journalists who interview them,” it stated.
Moeun Chhean Nariddh, director of the Cambodia Institute for Media Studies, said that even though the media sector in Cambodia had improved remarkably, press freedom had fallen away.
He said that action against journalists now takes the form of defamation lawsuits rather than street violence, but that legal threats are as much an “obstacle” to the proper performance of their profession.
According to a ministry report summing up its work in 2009, Cambodia is now home to 385 national newspapers, 172 national magazines, 43 international newspapers, 28 international magazines, 10 imported newspapers, 11 international news agencies, 21 journalist associations, 133 printing houses and six publishing establishments.
8 comments:
Freedom of expression and freedom of press have not improved in cambodia. Both Mr. khiev kanaridth and mr. hun sen use lips service, nothing of substance, to fool the cambodian public. They never keep their words; in other words they lie to khmer people as part of their political maneuver.
I shudder when I see the author of this article Kim Yuthana writes, "CAMBODIA’S media sector improved in both quality and quantity in 2009". It's the other way around--freedom of expression is getting worse.
If Kim Yuthana is going to write about freedom of expression in Cambodia, he/she must be impartial and must not write for political propaganda.
Freedom of expression has improved tremendously, in my opinion. That's why there are over 300 newspaper in Cambodian. This shows that Cambodia is heading to the right direction interms of freedom of speech. Even though, freedom of speech has increased, however, as a media they need to draw to line; what to report and what not to report. The reporters that were put to jail were well aware of how dangerous it was to expose Hun SEn's men. Common sense, if you live under Hun Sen regime, you of all the people should know better what kind of people you're dealing with.
Interms of keeping promises, every politician always in any countries never ever keep their promises. For example, Bush sr. said during in campaign in early 90s, " read my lips, no new taxes" . We all know what happened next! In conclusion, politicians do lie and that's how the politic runs.
11:08
Your statement is a walking contradiction.
You stated that Cambodia is headed in the right direction because there are over 300 newspapers. Quantity can never account for Quality. These numbers are not a valid measurement for the freedom of expression in Cambodia. You also stated that these Journalist should of censored themselves accordingly to Hun Sen's government.
The point is Journalist should not have to censor any truth that they uncover upon their investigation, especially when it happens to involved corrupted politicians. Action against journalists now takes the form of defamation lawsuits, that is the silencing of real freedom of speech and an “obstacle” to the proper performance of their profession. Hang Chakra and all other Journalist should be allowed to report the truth about what is really going on in the Cambodia and in politics, without the threat of being jailed or getting shot on the streets like Khim Sambor!
Free Hang Chakra and lock up the corrupted politicians!
9:46,
Kim Yuthana did not state that information, it is not his opinion.
He was quoting what Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith said.
Read the article again : )
Freedom of expession is not compatible with DICTATORSHIP.
Cambodia is run by a dictator.
There is no freedom of expression in Cambodia.
Investors will leave Cambodia one by one because of dictatorship.
Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime
Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...
Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.
"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation
Illegally use of remote detonation on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.
Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters.
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.
Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.
Shit, the guy looks ugly as fuck! His teeth all rot to hell. What an ugly motherfucker!
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