Editorial: The Phnom Penh Post will not be silenced
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| Security guards employed by the Shukaku Inc development company attempt to remove residents protesting the destruction of their homes in Village 24 in Srah Chak commune, Daun Penh district on Friday. (Photo by: Sovan Philong) |
POST STAFF
The Phnom Penh Post
Police officers are members of the public service.
Their job is to ensure order by following clear guidelines within the law.
They are not above the law and, like general citizens, should be held accountable when they do the wrong thing.
On Friday four members of the city’s riot police surrounded Sovan Philong, a senior photographer with The Phnom Penh Post, who was taking pictures of home demolitions and evictions of residents from Boeung Kak lake.
The officers manhandled Sovan Philong, grabbed his shirt from the front and back as they shoved him, and illegally confiscated his camera equipment.
Sovan Philong was wearing his government-issued media-identification pass and was covering a breaking news story.
His equipment was returned to him about 90 minutes later.
A riot police officer was later on Friday questioned by another senior representative of The Phnom Penh Post who requested to see the person in charge to register a formal complaint.
The officer said: “My commanding officer has no name and no phone number.”
Cambodia has a reputation as being the beacon of free press in Southeast Asia.
This arrogant and heavy-handed behaviour does not mirror a society with a free press.
About 4,000 people will eventually be evicted from the lakeside to make way for a development by Shukaku Inc, a company owned by Lao Meng Khin who is a senator with the ruling party of Cambodia.
Shukaku employs security guards who have on occasions verbally abused and generally threatened staff members of The Phnom Penh Post.
The stand-over tactic has badly backfired and has made this newspaper even more committed to cover each event as it unfolds during the eviction and demolition process.
We will not be intimidated nor silenced.
The Phnom Penh Post is demanding a full inquiry into the assault and camera confiscation suffered by Sovan Philong.
This inquiry should be state-level and independent of the police.
Phnom Penh obviously needs riot police.
It does not need a division of the Keystone Kops.
It does not need ruffians dressed in police uniforms.
12 comments:
Shukaku Inc, a company owned by Lao Meng Khin has made Cambodia looks bad among the international community... I am ashamed to see unethical companies striving very well in Cambodia... and the gov't condones this kind of behavior.
Those polices why you oppress the Khmer own people because they don't against you all shit. Why you don't go to against Viet illegale living and taking Khmer jobs ??
Put those police in jail or let them pay for what they did to a PPP photographer . It will be a signal for other police to respect innocent people and the law.
Time to make a IED. You know what I mean. All it take is a few of them and watch these fawking cops run for their life.
King accepts donationsfrom Lao Meng Khin as token exchanged the ruthless activities long been imposed to residents of Boeung Kok.
It is a form of bribery,regardless those donations given to the poor or not.
It clearly portrays that power abuse bought by the so called clever ones for quite sometime.
That is the reason for human rights organisation and social organisations persistingly advocate for those disadvantaged cambodians who have been badly treated.
Implementation of our constitution is critical for security and sovereinty of Cambodians.
Cambodians inside and overseas voice their concerns against ABUSES resulted in continued suffering of Cambodians.It does not mean that they voice against RGC,but the wrong acts that causes suffering.
The king should work with the social organisations and the UN and donors to fully endorse the implementation our constitution, or the safety and stability of Cambodians.
Our king can't continue to deny the Cambodian's plights.
Great king Jayavoraman vii paid attention to his people.And that couragious concept should continue.
Peasant
Peasant,
You have a great point!
King Sihamony is very weak and should be ashamed of himself for having accepted the donations from Mr. Lao Meng Khin and his wife.
The plight of the people in Boeung Kak lake is totally ignored by this king whose influence will eventually be decreased to even below zero. He only has himself to blame when that happens.
If there is a referendum in Cambodia on the need for a monarchy, I will, for sure, vote a "No" to it as this institution has horribly and disgracefully failed its duty and obligation towards the common people in Cambodia.
We do not need such an institution to cost the state more money when its function is to rubber stamp what the government is doing and to willingly agree to support the government in every policy it makes even though some of those policies greatly affect the lives of several thousand poor people.
Watch it and observe, eventually the monarchy will die a terrible and shameful death in Cambodia. It is just the matter of time!
Anet Khmer
Correction for the above:King Sihamoni
Anet Khmer
យើងត្រូវនាំគ្នាងើបឡើងពេលនេះភ្លាម ពីព្រោះស្រុកយួនកំពុងមានបញ្ហា ផ្ទៃក្នុង {សមាជថ្មីៗនេះ}, ប្រជាជនយួនភាគច្រើន អស់ជំនឿលើបក្សខ្លួនហើយ។
ងើបឡើង ងើបឡើង ងើបឡើង បងប្អូនទាំងអស់គ្នា។ ទៅរួមជាមួយបងប្អូននៅបឹងកក់ នៅកំពង់ធំ នៅកំពត នៅកោះកុង នៅបាត់ដំបង សៀមរាប ពោធិសត្វ កំពង់ចាម តាកែវ ស្វាយរៀង ។ល។ ចូរកុំនៅស្ងៀមនៅពេលឧិកាសដ៏ល្អនេះ។
ងើបឡើង ងើបឡើង ងើបឡើង បងប្អូនទាំងអស់គ្នា។
true khmer you are Sam rainsy if you lead the country how you going to do with viet ? I never see any solution, but you are great in deception, cheating people to gain power. are khmer stupid vote for hun sen or you are stupid Khmer kick you out.you are stupid isn't it right ? bunch of useless SRP what you can do, you see yourself are such a mess? you may cheat some Khmer but not all, loser is a loser.
មានម្ចាស់ដីជាច្រើនត្រូវចាប់ខ្លួនក្នុងទំនាស់ដីធ្លីនាឆ្នាំ២០១០
ដោយ ទីន ហ្សាការីយ៉ា
2011-01-16
របាយ ការណ៍ចុងក្រោយប្រចាំឆ្នាំ២០១០ របស់សមាគមអាដហុក និយាយថាម្ចាស់ដីត្រូវបានតុលាការចាប់ដាក់គុក រីឯក្រុមហ៊ុន ឬអ្នកមានអំណាចរួចខ្លួន។
គេហទំព័ររបស់សមាគមអាដហុក (www.adhoc-chra.org)
What happen the boomb vest, sacrified yourself to be heard. then the police will think twice! DO IT...No Land, No Freedon, Khmer Citizen a third class
Free US!
The Phnom Penh has been soft with these gangsters for years. Now when Phnom Penh Post has decided to speak out against an injustice, it KICKS ASS. Way to go, Phnom Penh Post. I thought you guys didn't have any spines at all.
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