24 journalists arrested and 10 sued in one year in Cambodia

Monday, 3 May 2010
By Khmerization
Source: Kampuchea Thmei

A new reports released by the Cambodian Journalists Club revealed that in one year from 3rd May 2009 to 3rd May 2010, 24 journalists across Cambodia had been arrested and 10 were sued by powerful people and by the government, reports Kampuchea Thmei.

This is a phenomenal increase compared to the same period in previous year which only seen two cases of lawsuits against journalists. The arrests of 24 journalists include two have been arrested and jailed for defamation and disinformation (Hang Chakra and Ros Sokhet), 8 had been physically threatened and a number of journalists had been fired by Radio Free Asia.

The report said that 9 journalists had been sued for defamation and disinformation relating to their professional misconduct. Two had been arrested on defamation and disinformation charges, 17 arrested on charges of extortion and 7 arrested on various charges.

The report said a number of journalists had been killed by murders and by suspicious traffic accidents. It said one journalist was shot dead inside his car, one died in a traffic accident and 5 have sustained injuries from traffic accidents.

The report also stressed that a number of journalists had been sacked in that period. It said 6 Radio Free Asia journalists were sacked in an organisational restructure, however, it said the reason for the sackings has been disputed by the sacked journalists.

The report also said that many journalists had lawsuits currently lodged against them in the Phnom Penh Court and still awaiting trial date, others had been sentenced but other (Hang Chakra) had been pardoned by the king. However, some journalists had been acquitted by the courts, said the report.

Since press freedom was championed by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia in 1991 and since it was inscribed in the Cambodian constitution in 1993, Cambodian journalists have embarked on exercising their new found freedom to the point of being unprofessional. Many took a very extreme and confrontational stance against the government which were and are not used to being criticised. This led to many journalists being killed, wounded and jailed.

According to the statement of Cambodian Centre for Human Rights released on 1st of May, 11 journalists in Cambodia have been killed since 1993.

22 unacceptable attacks against journalists in Cambodia

22 attacks conducted against journalists in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-two cases of violence against journalists were recorded in the second half of 2008 and the first two months of 2009 in Cambodia, said English-language daily newspaper the Phnom Penh Post on Monday.

These included cases in which journalists were detained and cases in which threats or accusations were made against them "by individuals, groups, authorities and court institutions," the paper quoted a press release from the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) as saying.

Meanwhile, the CCJ decried unprofessional behavior on the part of some journalists, who accepted bribes or used unethical means to advance the aims of the groups that they supported.

The press release also urged the Ministry of Information to use more discretion in issuing press cards.

"Some media pass holders are not journalists," said CCJ secretary general Prach Sim.

Over 300 newspapers are registered with the ministry, but only 10 are publishing daily and 30 can get printed on regular basis.

Health of Jailed Editor Good, But Wife Worries

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
13 June 2008

Click here to listen to the audio program in Khmer

Opposition editor Dam Sith called his arrest unfair and an abuse of Cambodian law, and he appealed to the courts to release him on bail, a journalist who visited him in prison said Friday.

Dam Sith is being detained in a cell 4 meters wide and 15 meters long, said Puy Kea, a member of the Club of Cambodian Journalists, five of whose members visited the editor Friday morning.

Dam Sith has been in jail since Sunday on charges of defamation and disinformation, following the publication in Moneaksekar Khmer a speech by opposition leader Sam Rainsy that accused Foreign Minister Hor Namhong of being a former member of the Khmer Rouge.

Hor Namhong has denied such accusations in the past and filed suit against the paper April 25.

Wife Meas Chan Kanha said she worried about a stomach ailment of Dam Sith that requires daily medicine the prison cannot provide.

Kuy Bun Sorn, chief of Cambodian prisons, said Friday Dam Sith was detained with criminals of various charges, including murder, terrorism, assassination and rape.

Journalists to Visit Jailed Opposition Editor

Dam Sith (Photo: RFA)

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
12 June 2008

Members of the Club of Cambodian Journalists on Friday will visit jailed opposition editor Dam Sith, who remains in Prey Sar prison despite calls for his release.

Seven members of the club will visit Dam Sith in his cell at Prey Sar prison, Pan Samitik, chairman of the association, said. The courts had granted permission for the meeting, he said.

The purpose of the visit is to see Dam Sith's conditions in jail, he said.

Phnom Penhn Municipal Court Judge Chhay Kong said had agreed to allow the visit.

Rights groups and an international journalist organization on Thursday condemned the arrest as an assault on press freedom and an act of intimidation ahead of general elections in July.

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong filed suit against the editor April 25, claiming a story he published in Moneaksekar Khmer, a daily newspaper, defamed him by quoting accusations from opposition leader Sam Rainsy the minister was a member of the Khmer Rouge.

Press freedom an endless struggle for Asian media: Conference

January 15, 2008
The Jakarta Post (Indonesia)

The German-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation late last year held a conference on media and law in the Cambodian tourist center of Siem Reap. The Jakarta Post's Imanuddin Razak participated in the three-day conference, which covered discussions on press freedom in Asia.

Most people would agree that nothing in life is free -- including the obtaining or upholding of press freedom.

This basic truth was uttered by one conference participant who hailed from a Southeast Asian country.

An obvious example comes from the conference host: Cambodia itself.

The president of the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ), Pen Samitthy, said due to a weak judicial system and law enforcement in Cambodia, the establishment of a press council to assist journalists in avoiding legal lawsuits was a necessity.

Looking at the number of media outlets in Cambodia -- 296 local newspapers, 90 magazines, 30 bulletins, 41 registered foreign media institutions, 22 radio stations and seven television stations, most of whom are privately owned -- there is widespread recognition the Cambodian media enjoy press freedom.

The image that press freedom in Cambodia is strongly upheld was strengthened by a government decision in 2006 to decriminalize defamation cases to ensure journalists would not be sent to prison for defamation.

This encouraged Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders) to issue a statement deeming Cambodia the model for other Asian countries to follow in upholding press freedom; an important component of democracy. The group also ranked Cambodia 85 out of 169 countries with press freedom surveyed in 2007.

Cambodia rated far better than the other nine ASEAN member countries, including Indonesia (100), Malaysia (124), the Philippines (128), Thailand (135), Singapore (142), Laos (161), Vietnam (162) and Myanmar (164).

"However, I have to say that Cambodia is not a perfect place for journalists. There were six journalists killed between 1993 and 1997. Since 1997, there have been no journalists murdered; but arrests, threats and lawsuits are still concerns for Cambodian journalists," said Samitthy.

The press freedom trend has since experienced a change from the use of violence to the use of the legal system. In 2006, there were seven lawsuits filed against Cambodian journalists, an arrest of a journalist and 12 cases of threats against journalists.

Fortunately, there were cases that could be solved out of court through negotiations, in which the CCJ served as the mediator.

However, Cambodian courts prefer to apply the penal code rather than the Law on Press. As a result, journalists can be imprisoned if they are found guilty.

Another concern is there are some articles in the Law on Press that can be applied to imprison journalists. An example is article 12 of the law regarding national security and political stability, which gives the courts permission to prosecute journalists whose reports harm national security and political stability.

Cambodian journalists can also be imprisoned if they have been sued by a member of the public and proven guilty of defamation.

Cambodian journalists not only face legal lawsuits, but also have limited access to information. Article 5 of the press law stipulates that journalists have to wait one month to obtain requested information from government officials.

The CCJ, Samitthy said, was considering establishing its own regulations to help journalists avoid lawsuits.

"An important step is to set up a national code of conduct for Cambodian journalists and a mechanism to enforce the code of conduct through the establishment of a self-regulatory body, known as a press council, which will monitor and deal with the issues between journalists and members of the public," he said.

This is the lesson from Cambodia. But what about press freedom in India, an Asian country dubbed as the world's largest democracy?

"The Indian Constitution, which came into force in 1950, stipulates that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression," Mukund Padmanabhan, Senior Associate Editor of The Hindu, said at the conference.

"Yet, the constitution does not have a specific provision for the freedom of the press. Press freedom is a defined right in India as it has its roots in the right to freedom of speech and expression of the citizen."

Mukund specifically highlighted three laws -- the Contempt Law, Defamation Law and Privilege Law -- that had the potential to hamper press freedom in India, as they could be used to prosecute or even imprison journalists for their reports.

Meanwhile, press freedom in Malaysia and Singapore, which both impose an internal security act, remains a difficult issue to resolve.

The Reporters Without Borders group quoted Singaporean leaders as saying economic prosperity had to be paid for with freedom.

"I'm often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yet, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today," it quoted a statement by former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee's remark, according to Reporters Without Borders, sums up the policy of the country's longtime ruler -- that civil liberties are never a priority and that a good citizen should always remember national interests are more important.

This has remained the government's attitude since Lee partly handed over power to his successors in 1990, after ruling for 31 years.

Similarly, press freedom in Malaysia has been criticized as the press there has been heavily influenced by the government, in the name of prosperity and stability.

In the Philippines, however, as both judicial and press regulations have developed toward freedom of the press, problems that still hamper press freedom focus more around security and safety for media employees and organizations.

A report compiled by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) revealed that five Philippine journalists were killed last year, increasing the total number of journalists killed under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration to 54.

Indonesia's reform movement in 1998 led to the revocation of the Information Minister's decree on media publishing licenses; the most effective tool of the New Order government in controlling the media.

Yet, reforms have also led people to exercise their rights independently, including the filing of both criminal and civil lawsuits by parties or individuals dissatisfied with media reports.

Cambodia 'not a perfect place' for journalists, says union

Fri, 16 Nov 2007
DPA

Siem Reap, Cambodia - Murders of Cambodian journalists may have decreased in recent years, but the threat is increasingly becoming one of legal intimidation, the country's most powerful journalist union said Friday. The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) made the statement at a two-day meeting of local and international journalists, government officials and representatives of the Konrad Adenhauer Foundation in this northern city, some 400 kilometres from the capital.

"Cambodia is not a perfect place for journalists. There were six journalists killed between 1993 and 1997. In recent years, while there have been no killings, arrests, threats and legal intimidation have become of increasing concern," the CCJ said.

"The trend against press freedom has turned from violence to legal means as politicians and others become more sophisticated."

A spokesman for the CCJ said while the 2003 shooting of royalist radio journalist Chour Chet Tharith was perhaps the last murder of a journalist, in 2006 alone there were seven lawsuits and arrests and 12 serious threats recorded against CCJ member journalists.

Ministry of Information secretary of state Srey Channy countered by saying that Cambodia respected press freedom, but no journalist had the right to abuse their position for personal or financial gain.

"Press freedom without responsibility can also put democracy in danger. Therefore I appeal to Cambodian journalists to stick to the principals of journalism and perform their duties ethically and professionally," Channy told the meeting.

Cambodia recently decriminalized defamation but it still carries hefty financial penalties.

Cambodian journalists urged to join fight against corruption [-Will pro-CPP newspaper dare expose CPP corruption all the way to the top?]

Tue, 23 Oct 2007
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's most powerful journalism organisation has weighed into the battle against the country's endemic corruption, urging journalists to expose graft and announcing large cash prizes in a statement published Tuesday. Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) president Pen Samitthy published details of the competition in the country's largest selling Khmer-language daily, Rasmei Kampuchea. Samitthy is also the editor-in-chief of that newspaper.

"To effectively fight against corruption, we need the support of the media," Samitty wrote in his prologue. "Please, all journalists, expose corruption. We must all respond, not just the government."

He also called on the Cambodian National Assembly and the international community to support local journalists who dared to root out corruption at all levels of society.

A first prize of 1,100 dollars plus a trophy were on offer for the best anti-corruption investigative journalism piece, and all stories must be submitted anonymously, Samitthy wrote.

The CCJ boasts more than a thousand members and receives support from the US embassy and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation amongst others. Rasmei Kampuchea is viewed as being close to the ruling Cambodian People's Party by media analysts.

Cambodia was ranked at 162 out of 180 countries by Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in its recently released 2007 index. Rampant graft has been blamed for the country's failure to attract more much-needed foreign direct investment.

Cambodian journalists decry Japanese journalist killing in Myanmar

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Phnom Penh (dpa) - Cambodia's most powerful journalist union on Tuesday condemned the killing of a Japanese colleague during the Myanmar pro-democracy demonstrations and called for strong action.

The Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) released a statement expressing its condolences for Ken Jinagai, 50, who was apparently gunned down by Myanmar troops while filming for Japanese agency APF on September 27.

"This killing is very regretable and shocking," the CCJ said in the statement.

"The CCJ strongly condemns the killers of this journalist and appeals to the Myanmar government to take action to investigate the incident clearly and send the killers to trial to find justice for the victim and his family."

The CCJ boasts hundreds of members and is by far the largest journalist union in Cambodia.

Viewed as close to, but far from dependent on, the Cambodian government by media analysts, the CCJ's criticism is yet another indication of growing indignation amongst various sections of the community within the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) at Myanmar's military junta's conduct.

The 10-member ASEAN bloc consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It is the most powerful diplomatic and trading bloc in the region. Myanmar joined ASEAN in 1997.

Club of Cambodian Journalists concerned about press freedom

Thursday, June 21, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On Wednesday, the Club of Cambodian Journalists expressed its concerns about the freedom of the press in Cambodia after it was learnt that another journalist was anonymously threatened by phone. Lim Pisith, RFA reporter, received the death threat on Saturday after he investigated illegal logging operations in Kompong Thom province. The Club of Cambodian Journalists considers this death threat against Lim Pisith as a violation of the freedom of the press in Cambodia. The Club called on the authority to provide safety protection to Lim Pisith, and to investigate this threat case in order to bring the perpetrator to justice. One RFA employee told The Cambodia Daily on Wednesday that, up to now, the employee could not reach Lim Pisith since he went into hiding. The RFA employee said that this threat seriously affect the entire RFA office in Phnom Penh. The employee also said that all RFA employees are scared and a new RFA employee refused to come to work.