Mon, 22 July 2013
The Phnom Penh Post
Khmer-language
newspapers published Friday and over the weekend across the Kingdom
ignored Rainsy’s return or mentioned him only tangentially. VIREAK MAI
An above-the-fold photo on the Kampuchea Thmey
daily’s front page on Saturday showed some of a reported 20,000
Cambodian People’s Party supporters, flags fluttering in the air as they
rode their motorbikes down one of Phnom Penh’s main streets.
Conspicuously
absent from the paper, however, was news of a separate gathering, at
which an exhilarated crowd of about 100,000 Cambodia National Rescue
Party supporters lined streets from the Phnom Penh International Airport
to Freedom Park, to celebrate opposition leader Sam Rainsy’s return
after nearly four years of self-imposed exile.
“It
was a historic event,” said Lao Mong Hay, an independent political
analyst. “But the resounding silence in the media is also an event in
itself.”
Khmer-language
newspapers published Friday and over the weekend across the Kingdom
ignored Rainsy’s return or mentioned him only tangentially. A story in
Friday’s Norkowat News said Rainsy supports the government’s stance on border defence, while Kampunchea Thmey reported that Rainsy cannot run for office during this year’s election.
Rainsy’s
return came after he received a Royal pardon a week ago, exonerating
him from an 11-year prison sentence many feel was politically motivated.
But
rather than covering the long-absent opposition leader’s impending
return or the mammoth outpouring of support among party faithful, the
weekend edition of Koh Santepheap daily ran a Page One feature on increased tourism in Phnom Penh. Rasmei Kampuchea’s
Saturday edition, meanwhile, featured photos of a proud student
receiving her doctoral diploma from Chamroeun University of
Polytechnology.
“The
[local media] follows the CPP party and tries not to make any
[trouble],” said Koul Panha, executive director of election watchdog
Comfrel. “It’s a really big problem.”
In
a statement released yesterday, Amnesty International and three other
international human rights groups said the ruling party’s domination of
Cambodian media has allowed them to maintain a public image more
favourable than opponents.
“Most
media in Cambodia are either controlled by the government or exercise
self-censorship, generally providing only limited or unfavourable
coverage about the opposition parties,” the statement says.
The
same statement also brought up voters’ increasing ability to voice
their political views through social media, even though the National
Election Committee issued a request that social media users “not provide
wrong information about the election”.
While
Khmer newspapers remain a key source of information for literate
citizens across the Kingdom, social media sites such as Facebook are
beginning to emerge as new venues where voters can form their opinions,
said Cedric Jancloes, a former media adviser to the UNDP-produced Equity Weekly news show, which was kicked off state-run television after reporting on sensitive issues earlier this year.
“For
people who have access to technology, I think people today are much
more reliant on their iPhones and iPads and computers to get their
information,” Jancloes said. “It’s a new ballgame.”
But
at newsstands on Street 51 near Wat Lanka yesterday, shop owners said
the lack of coverage of Rainsy’s return upset their customers.
“They
complain, ‘Why doesn’t [the newspaper] say anything about it?’” said
Chen, a seller at newsstand and bookshop Re Jean, who gave only his
first name. “Most people are very interested in Sam Rainsy coming back
to Cambodia.”
He
added that a substantial amount of his customers wanted to purchase
Rainsy’s new autobiography, Rooted in Stone, but the book is only
available in English and French.
Dining
outside his newsstand with three other men, Chen Rithy, 30, said people
also came by asking for news on Rainsy’s return, but only foreign-run
papers covered this.
The
ruling party’s use of media is reminiscent of the past, when kings
would appoint high priests and monks to “domesticate” the public, Mong
Hay said.
Information
printed in Khmer-language newspapers may not reflect the most important
news of the day, he said, but it serves a purpose.
“Look
at the journalists serving [the Khmer media], their expertise is to
educate people to support the ruling party,” Mong Hay said. “They don’t
have any individual integrity.”
5 comments:
That is the democracy in form of communism in 21st century in Cambodia.
Who would read those trash and watch Hun sen's monotonous TV when we have KI, KPR & WKR...
អ្នកដែលជឿកាសែត ទូរទស្ស និង ប្រព័ន្ទផ្សព្វ
ផ្សាយរបស់ពួកគណៈបក្សបរជាជនយួន មេចោរ
ក្បត់ជាតិកាន់អំណាចនៃរបបភ្នំពេញ សុទ្ធតែ អ្នកល្ងង់ខ្លៅ អវិជ្ជា គ្មានខួរក្បាល ឬ ខួរបង្កងមាន
សុទ្ធតែលាមកនៅក្នុងក្បាល ។ ឬមួយជាអ្នកធ្លាប់បានរៀនសូត្រដែរ តែរហាមពេក ក៍សុខចិត្ត
លក់ឧត្តមគតិ និង មនសិការខ្លួនដើម្បីប្តូរយក
ប្រាក់កាសដើមបីរស់ ? ។
ក្រៅពីហ្នឹង ដូចជាគ្មានអ្វីផ្សេងទៀតដែលញុំាងឲ
ពួកគេធ្វើដូច្នេះឡើយ ។
~ THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ~
1. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any grave image.
3. Thou shalt take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
10. Thou shalt not covet.
ĆÂṂ ÔÑ ŚÂṂĐÂĆḤ ĐÊĆḤÒ ḤÙŃ ṢÈŃ 3ÔÔÔ!!!
ẈÊ LỈVÊĐ ỈN ÑÂMLÂÔ SỈṆĆÊ ḤÔ CḤỈ ṂỈÑḤ!!!
ẈÊ LỈṾÊĐ ỈN ÑÂṂBỢĐỈÂ SỈNĆÊ 1979!!!
ẈÊ WỈLL LỈṾÊ ỈN ÑÂṂṬHÂỈ SÔÔN!!!
Ṭḥê Ḷôst Ñgưỳêń
Post a Comment