Phnom Penh February 18, 2011
For the past few weeks, several websites critical of the Cambodian government have been unavailable through a number of Internet service providers, or ISPs. Although the government has denied ordering the sites censored, a leaked memo indicates it indeed ordered access cut.
The Phnom Penh Post newspaper this week published extracts from leaked minutes of a meeting at which the minister for post and telecommunications asked Internet service providers to block access to critical sites.
The Post also ran extracts from an e-mail sent by a senior ministry official congratulating 10 ISPs for helping to block the websites, and admonishing three others for not doing so.
Human rights group LICADHO, which issues an annual report assessing Cambodia’s media, objects to the web censorship.
LICADHO consultant Mathieu Pellerin says the revelation of state censorship is significant.
"Beginning to censor the Internet is basically censoring the last unregulated space for Cambodians to express themselves and reach information that would otherwise not be accessible to them,” said Pellerin. It is an important milestone in the ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and access to information."
Cambodia’s press technically is free, but every television station is pro-government as are most radio stations. The government uses the threat of criminal defamation charges to curtail criticism.
Internet service provider EZECOM, one of the biggest here, said for weeks that the government had not told it to block sites, and that it had not blocked any.
But EZECOM was one of the 10 ISPs praised in the official’s e-mail for blocking a number of sites, including KI-Media.
EZECOM’s chief operating officer would not comment on the Post’s reports.
The half-dozen or so blocked websites are often critical of the ruling party. Prime Minister Hun Sen is listed on the KI-Media website, for instance, in a column titled "Traitors”"
The site shows exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy in its “Heroes” column.
KI-Media often runs articles critical of the ruling party and its supporters.
LICADHO’s Pellerin says because Cambodia’s Internet market is small, the effect of barring access to these websites is more significant than it might seem.
"And so you don’t have as many sites as you would have in other countries, so few sites but in a smaller pool of sites affects quite a lot of viewers, and these sites that have been censored were quite popular with the Cambodian community," he added.
The minister for post and telecommunications said on Thursday that there was no policy to block access to websites.
6 comments:
Thai also use anti tanks missile guide make from US to wipe out Hun Sen regime Tanks. Hun Sen's tanks cab be see from the satilite very clear because they are made from metal. Anti-tank missile can delivery very accuraccy to destry all Hun Sen tanks by using live GPS guide from satilide.
All cambodian army don't stay in the tanks if you want to survive OK!
Hun Sen can't update military weapons due to Hun Sen's regime so much currupted. They use the whole nation money for their pockets only that is why they are billionairs, millionairs but 90% cambodians are poor.
If a senior ministry official had anything to do with the blocking of these websites then it is logical to conclude that he enacted the will and wishes of the Royal Government of Cambodia, irrespective of that government's 'official' policy is on censorship.
It is highly unlikely that the senior official in question sent out emails to internet service providers requesting that they block specific websites independently of his own volition and without tacit clearance or authorisation from some higher authority within the government as insinuated by Mr Khiev Kanharit.
More likely the RGC is anxious not to draw outcry from rights groups and foreign donors over its de jure narrowing of the scope of freedom of expression, hence the resort to this de facto or unofficial censorship instead, making the ministry official the scapegoat for its act of oppression in the process.
If, however, the RGC has no policy to censor these websites, then just simply do the decent thing by ordering these internet service providers to unblock the sites and discipline the identified culprit(s) for his misdemeanor?
why some bad people always wanted to paint bad picture of cambodia? why? they have something against cambodia? cambodia reserves the rights to be cambodia, ok!
Cambodian deserve the right to freedom without fear.
The unfofficial censorship is the same way Cambodian Government operate as a corrupt official. It's there but you can not find the evidence easily.
*The communist system always have Problem like that.
-so khunn [The yellow skin Lion]he is A Good Boxing in the Bed the same Mr Kagharith...finally They're the same.So khunn is Jealous with him.
DEAR TAI KHNAUCH
KONG KONG
stop inflaming cambodia, please! show us love, not hate, ok!
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