21 September 2010By Sopheap Chak
Global Voices Online
A recent advertisement of a major Cambodian mobile phone service provider is being criticized by many netizens for promoting bad behavior among the youth. The CellCard ad shows a group of young people taking pictures of another friend’s bottom and distributing the photos to others via the internet. Through the ad, the company hopes to promote its fast internet service. But the company also seems to ignore its social responsibility by encouraging the youth to violate the privacy of their friends.
Piseth Mao, blogger and also communication specialist for Women's Media Center of Cambodia, voices his concern and expresses a strong objection to that advertisement spot by requesting the spot to be banned. He encourages the company to convey a better message to the public particularly to the youth if it wants to promote its products. In his blog, Piseth asserted his right to freedom of expression to push for the removal of the ad:
Notably, there was also a past concern regarding another advertisement of a motorcycle company which devalues the image of women.
On the other hand, the government has just recently banned a TV series, titled “Strange Lovers”, which features a beautiful woman who will be auctioned for marriage starting with a price of one million dollars. This may be welcomed by those who see the film as negatively affecting the dignity of Cambodian women. However, there are also those who rather view it as a restriction on freedom of expression of film producers. They link it with past government orders banning the production of other cultural performances. For example, a pop song about a Buddhist monk touching and kissing a girl and another rock opera, “Where Elephants Weep,” which have scenes showing monks in bad behavior were also censored. The government justified the ban by invoking the need to respect social tradition and the image of Buddhist monks.
While banning performances may be acceptable in some cases, this action needs to be consistent with the freedom of expression principle and the government should look at the consistency of the content and intention of that content rather than the solely base its justification by citing good social tradition and national security which have been also applied to many critics who have been subjected to arrest or have been charged with defamation, disinformation or incitement due to their dissenting opinion on government policies.
Piseth Mao, blogger and also communication specialist for Women's Media Center of Cambodia, voices his concern and expresses a strong objection to that advertisement spot by requesting the spot to be banned. He encourages the company to convey a better message to the public particularly to the youth if it wants to promote its products. In his blog, Piseth asserted his right to freedom of expression to push for the removal of the ad:
LET ME USE MY FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: I really want to see the latest Mobitel (Cellcard) spot banned from all TV Channels. What is the value of the spot? Encouraging the youth to take a picture of a girlʼs ass and share it with a friend as the Internet is fast? The producer of this spot must be somehow unusual.He continues by giving recommendation to the spot producer:
If you want to promote your good Internet connection, then why donʼt you think of something like “ A friend is at school and taking the picture of the lesson their teacher/lecturer writes on the board and share with a friend who is on mission in the province.”With his recommendation, Piseth believes that the company, which he applauded for its previous commercial spots like the Angkor Wat promotion, would encourage the building of a better society where friends care for each other and allow people to stay connected and updated through internet accessibility.
Notably, there was also a past concern regarding another advertisement of a motorcycle company which devalues the image of women.
On the other hand, the government has just recently banned a TV series, titled “Strange Lovers”, which features a beautiful woman who will be auctioned for marriage starting with a price of one million dollars. This may be welcomed by those who see the film as negatively affecting the dignity of Cambodian women. However, there are also those who rather view it as a restriction on freedom of expression of film producers. They link it with past government orders banning the production of other cultural performances. For example, a pop song about a Buddhist monk touching and kissing a girl and another rock opera, “Where Elephants Weep,” which have scenes showing monks in bad behavior were also censored. The government justified the ban by invoking the need to respect social tradition and the image of Buddhist monks.
While banning performances may be acceptable in some cases, this action needs to be consistent with the freedom of expression principle and the government should look at the consistency of the content and intention of that content rather than the solely base its justification by citing good social tradition and national security which have been also applied to many critics who have been subjected to arrest or have been charged with defamation, disinformation or incitement due to their dissenting opinion on government policies.
8 comments:
Sopheap, thanks for pointing and bringing this irresponsibility of Cellcard to a wider public. companies in Cambodia tend to think that they are the boss. Customers need to learn to boycot and speak out to show who are the boss. LOsing revenue is the key to bring them to listen and sensitive to customers.
We encourage the Youth to use freedom of expression. But me must not forget our social responsibility to do so.
ក្មេងៗកូនខ្មែរបច្ចុប្បន្ន ភាគច្រើន គឺខិលខូចពាលាអាវាសែ ។
ហើយ ខ្ជិលច្រអូស មិនចូលចិត្តរៀនសូត្រ ចេះតែដើរ
ស៊ីផឹកសប្បាយ ច្រៀងការាអូកេអូនបង ហើយឈ្លក់វង្វេង និងវប្បធម៌បរទេស ។
បើបងប្អូនណាចង់ ទៅរៀបការហើយ ធានា
យកមករស់នៅឯនាយសមុទ្រ ត្រូវប្រយ័ត្ន
អោយមែនទេន ប្រយ័ត្តប៉ះលើកមនុស្សអត់កើត។ ដោយសារ
ថាពួកក្មេងៗទាំងនេះ ធំធាត់នៅក្នុងសង្គេមមួយ ពោរពេញទៅដោយចលាចល ដូចជាការ កឹបកេងប្រវ៉ាញ់ គ្នាទៅវិញទៅមក សូម្បីតែនៅតាមសាលា
ក៏មានការស៊ីសំណូកសូកប៉ាន់ ពួកគេពូកែ ចេះ
តែខាងបញ្ជោរ បញ្ចុកដើម្បីស៊ីតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ។
បើប្រៀបធៀបផ្នត់គំនិតទូទៅ ជាមួយកូន
ខ្មែរដែលធំធាត់នៅឯនាយសមុទ្រវិញ
គឺខុសគ្នាឆ្ងាយណាស់ ។ កូន
ខ្មែរដែលធំធាត់នៅឯនាយសមុទ្រមួយចំនួនធំ មិនចេះភូតភរ មិនប្រកាន់វណ្ណះ ត្រូវថាត្រូវ
ខុសហ៊ានថាខុស មិនចេះវាយរឹក ក្លាហាន
ហ៊ានចេញមុខ ប្រឆាំងនិងទង្វើអយុត្តិធម៌។
រីឯកូនក្មេងនៅស្រុកខ្មែរវិញ មានមយាទផ្ទុយ
ទាំងស្រុង ពួកគេភាគច្រើនអាត្មានិយម
ប្រកាន់វណ្ណះ ចេះភូតភរបោកប្រាស់
មានរឿងអីកើតឡើង គឺសម្ងំយកសុខ ខ្ជឹល
ធ្វើកាងារ ចូលចិត្តតែសប្បាយហ៊ឺហា ពោល
គឺអន់ណាស់ ។
12.24
I am in Cambodia. In general, I tend to agree with your conclusion. There are some exception, but in general it is like what you are saying.
The value of people in Cambodia is power and money, whatever these people do are right.
The reason behind is the bad social environment and poor and corrupt education system
12:24 PM I hope that you are not sent back Cambodia. What it is now? When it come to internet and globalization, it is your choice to choose which one is suitable for you. I think the major problem is family education is weak in our society now. When it come to open up, we are not prepare well. This is innovative time. If you close everything, then we can go back to old time. You see even old time, we are more open than nowadays, you see Apsara at Angkor Wat, no one wearing shirt, all empty body decorated with gold. We are now become more cosed.
5:42 PM
Back in stone age they slept in caves and did not wear anything.
5:42 you are trying hard to be so stupid!
Why you are all so serious about this Cellcard commercial? If you are open mined and think positive way, you will see something else. It could be a warning sign to be be careful when you dress, even if no body will take that picture and post on facebook but people around you will already see it.
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