30 August 2008
By Nhim Sophal
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French
The International Republican Institute no longer finances the Voice of Democracy (VOD). The news came down on Saturday 30 August. This is important news because each year, the IRI provided $300,000 to this independent radio, i.e. almost the entire yearly budget for the VOD which amounts to $350,000. Pa Nguon Tieng, VOD director, assured that the IRI pullout will not lead to the VOD disappearance, nor to the firing of the 34 VOS staff members. “We will continue to broadcast normally. We have other sponsors who are willing to step in to fill the (IRI shoe),” Pa Nguon Tieng explained. Nevertheless, the latter refused to reveal the identity of his partners, similarly he will remain discreet on the reason of the departure of the IRI which remained at VOD’s side for the past five years. Um Sarin, President of the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists, deplored the IRI pullout: “VOD is a quality radio program. The news media are the eyes of the democracy. The disengagement of the IRI constitutes a withdrawal at this level.” Voice of Democracy broadcasts its program on 5 stations: FM105 in Phnom Penh, FM90.25 in Battambang and Oddar Meanchey, FM95.5 in Siem Reap, FM88.5 in Kampong Thom.
