Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Khmer Machas Srok newspaper relaunched

Tuesday, 22 March 2011
By Khmerization
Source: RFA

The opposition-affiliated Khmer Machas Srok newspaper has been relaunched on Monday 21st March after suspending publications for more than 9 months in June 2010 due to financial difficulties, but began to publish online as Khmer Machas Srok Daily.

Mr. Hang Chakra, editor of Khmer Machas Srok who has been jailed nearly a year in 2009 for revealing rampant corruption in the office of Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, said the re-launched Khmer Machas Srok will not be affiliated with any political party and will take a neutral stance. He said on Monday that 1,500 issues of the re-lanched Khmer Machas Srok have gone on sales in the capital Phnom Penh at the publication cost of $100 of his personal money.

The 57 year-old Hang Chakra said his newspaper began its publications in 2007 as an independent newspaper and was financed by his personal money, but took a critical stance against human rights abuses and corruption. "They always said that my newspaper is leaning toward the opposition party. But in principle, my newspaper will make the same constructive criticisms (as before), take a neutral position and is unbiased toward any parties", he said.

In June 2009, Mr. Hang Chakra was fined $2,250 and sentenced to 12 months jail term when Deputy Prime Minister Sok An sued him for defamation after he published documents and articles alleging rampant corruption within officials working under Mr. Sok An. Hang Chakra was released on 13th April 2010 by a royal pardon after serving two-thirds of his 12 month sentence.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen and the King gave Koh Tral and sea to vietnam! That's Why cambodian people lack of seafoods to eat today!

Anonymous said...

newspaper was telling the truth. they were not siding with any party. Just tell the truth

Anonymous said...

ការពិតមួយដែលឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំងអោយឃើញថានៅ
ប្រទេសខ្មែរមានក្រុមប្រឆាំងតិ់ចតួចណាស់រហូត
រកថវិការចិញ្ចឹមកូនទស្សនាវតីមួយមិនរួចផង។
គេអាចយល់ថា ឫមួយអ្នកប្រឆាំងនិយាយបានតែ
រឿងប្រឌិត ជេរបរិហារកេរ្តិ៏ ឫមួយគេយកការប្រឆាំង
ជាមុខរបរសំរាប់រកប្រាក់ចាយជាប្រាក់ខែ។

Anonymous said...

khmer mchas srok shouldn't be allowed to be racist, or it will not be good for cambodia's growth, etc, you know! this group is good, but they all must be educated worldly or they can become blinded and ignorant like frog in the well mentality, you know! so be cautious with their extremist agenda, ok! don't let them exploit cambodia at cambodia's expense, etc, ok! talk about outdated thinking here!

Anonymous said...

If someone wrote the truth about Hun Sen and his high or low officials,
they got jailed and fined,but other
writers who wrote good things about them,they got praised or raised levels of governing in any offices.
Do Khmer people in abroad and in Cambodia know about Hun Sen and his
followers behaviors?Yes,they do.
Khmer abroad travelers went back and forth always talked bad things
about Hun Sen and his officials.
The truth is the truth,no one can
not escape from the truth.
The Hun Sen regime will be dead before Vietnam taking fully over Cambodia.
Go to hell ah Hun Sen,his clans,and Vietnam.

UMasschick said...

I think we all need to look at the environment that Mr. Chakra is living in. The corrupted are in power and those who oppose are either jailed or dead. It's surprising that Hun Sen has even permitted Mr. Chakra the continuation of his newspaper. What's even more surprising is that he is still alive, fortunately. Maybe it's the fine that he had to pay off to get these pest officials off his back. It's only a matter of time before the money runs out and the pests will be back for more. Like mosquitoes to blood. I think he took a noble step on continuing his publications. But taking a more neutral turn, could eventually lead to favoritism of the corrupted. Not to say Mr. Chakra favors them, but he might have to to stay alive. Let's hope that this man will not become corrupted as well.