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| Information Minister Khieu Kanharith speaks in Phnom Penh yesterday at an event to mark World Press Freedom Day. Press freedom has become worse in the Kingdom, according to a US watchdog. (Photo by: Heng Chivoan |
Wednesday, 04 May 2011
Mary Kozlovski and Kim Yuthana
The Phnom Penh Post
The targeting of Cambodian journalists through defamation and disinformation legislation and the closure of an opposition newspaper were responsible for a decline in the Kingdom’s world ranking for press freedom last year, according to a report released yesterday.
According to the Freedom of the Press 2011 report, released by United States-based watchdog organisation Freedom House in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day, Cambodia’s press freedom ranking plunged to 141 for 2010 out of 196 countries and territories rated, compared with a ranking of 134 for 2009.
The report described Cambodia as “not free” and declared that the number of people worldwide with access to free and independent media had dropped to its lowest level in over a decade.
Cambodia’s ranking also declined within the Asia-Pacific region to 30 in 2010 out of 40 countries and territories, compared with a ranking of 29 in 2009. “Cambodia’s score ... deteriorated due to an aggressive use of disinformation and defamation legislation against journalists, as well as a reduction in media diversity following the closure of an opposition newspaper,” the report said.
Opposition newspaper Khmer Machas Srok relaunched in March after closing down in June 2010 due to funding shortages and illness suffered by its publisher, Heng Chakra. Heng Chakra was jailed for disinformation in 2009 for articles published in Khmer Machas Srok which alleged that officials working for Deputy Prime Minister Sok An had been involved in corruption. He received a royal pardon in April last year.
Moeun Chhean Narridh, director of the Cambodia Institute for Media Studies, said yesterday that defamation and disinformation legislation had been used by some government officials to deliberately prosecute journalists.
“It constitutes political harassment,” he said. “The government needs to remove the criminal provision from [defamation and disinformation] law.”
Moeun Chhean Narridh added that the government must adopt a draft law on freedom of information.
“We need a legal framework that guarantees access to information,” he said.
Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith told The Post in December that a draft policy paper on freedom of information finalised by the government in 2007 – which would serve as a framework for a draft law – was at the Ministry of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection.
Khieu Kanharith could not be reached for comment last night, but said at a World Press Freedom Day event in Phnom Penh yesterday that the government encouraged the delivery of information to the public through different forms of media.
According to a report released at the event by the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists, a number of cases had been brought against journalists for defamation and disinformation over the past year but no journalists had been charged, imprisoned or killed.
15 comments:
"Government" are supposed to protect and serves people.
Not in cambodia! These people are no better than animals.
ខៀវកញ្ញារិទ្ធបាននិយាយ ពាំត្រណោត។
គេថា គ្មានអ្នកណាចង់អានទេKIនោះ ព្រោះប្លុកនេះ
ច្រើននិយាយញុះញុងគេ ប៉ុន្តែ គេមិនបិទប្លុកនេះទេ
ព្រោះកញ្ញារិទ្ធខ្លួនឯងចង់មើលដែរ។ ????
អ្នកណាចូលចិត្តនិយាយហៅឈ្មោះប្រទេសខ្មែរ "Banana Kingdom" អ្នកនោះឯងច្បាស់ជាមានការច្រណែននិន្ទាចង់បានចំណែកខ្លះឬមួយមិនសប្បាយចិត្តដោយគេមិនចែកចេកឧ្យខ្លួនឯងស៊ីផង៕
In Cambodia today people still think like the old kingdom. let them know that we elected them there to serve the people of Khmer...not themself or family.
To curve your behaviors and actions, we've put in place a freedom of "scrutiny."
HM
change is not easy, people need a lot of education about it, really! they have to see the benefit or it won't happen,really! how can we make cambodia to see the benefit? maybe educate people not to be so greedy and to respect the law, etc, etc, first, really! someone like a strongman has got to implement the law, you know or people just don't respect or obey the law, it's as simple as that, really! you can't be nice or lient all the time, you know or nothing will get done!
Chiness person told me once! LOL
"To get to a million step"
"You must take One step at a time"
no matter what...we will get there
Regime changed!
Lives must be lost for change to happen.
If lots of lives lost, the US and the international community will pay attention.
Who is going to volunteer for this cause, perhaps sacrifice your life in the process for change.
#1
I here...Willing to help sacrifice and help other Khmer life for better
1:17 AM
First need to help yourself to be a good Khmer citizen, than you can help other Khmer.
CAMBODIA = BANANA KINGDOM ≠ JUSTICE
3:15 AM
A dumb monkey is looking for banana.
It my sincere belief that blood must be spilled and (many)lives must be lost for the US and international community to pay any attention--perhaps change for Cambodia.
Believe me, if lives are lost, the world will listen to Cambodia.
នៅលើឆាកអន្តរជាតិ វាំងននខ្មែរមានព៌ណសស្គុស
តែនៅពីខាងក្រោយវិញ មានព៌ណក្រហមឆ្អិនឆ្អៅ
លាក់មុខថា ខ្លួនមិនមែនក្រហមទេ។ ដូច្នេះ សេរី
ភាពក្នុងការនិយាយស្ដី ការបញ្ចេញមតិ ការផ្សាយ
តាមសារព័ត៌មាន វិទ្យុផ្សាយសំលេង វិទ្យុទូរទស្សន៍
។ល។និង។ល។ត្រូវហាមឃាត់ បើមិនស្របរបាំង
ក្រហមឆេះ។
តាមការពិនិត្យនៃជនទួទៅ គេឃើញប្រទេសទាំង
បី ប្រទេសលាវក្រហម យួនក្រហម និង
រាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា ដាក់វេណប្រជុំគ្នា ជួននៅ
ប្រទេសលាវ ជួននៅប្រទេសវៀតណាម ហើយ
ជួននៅព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា ក្នុងរវាងបួនប្រាំ
ខែម្ដង។ នេះសអោយឃើញថា ជាសហគតរដ្ធ។
នេះជាសេរីភាពរបស់រដ្ធទាំងបីឬ?
Wish Cambodian snipers would shoot that guy head. He is a CPP Yuon member. He is an illegal Yuon idiot living in Cambodia and has a nice job in Phnom Penh. He is very ugly.
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