Gallup polls paint different political picture

Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks during the opening ceremony of the Khmer Brewery on Monday. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Joseph Freeman
The Phnom Penh Post

“My family always warned me, always taught me, not to get involved, not to criticise public officials – it’s better to be silent than to be speaking”

As politicians seek to spin poll results released in recent weeks to their advantage in the lead-up to next month’s commune election, the microscope is now falling on how accurate these surveys are and whether they are even asking the right questions.

Although Prime Minister Hun Sen has lauded high approval ratings, which a Gallup poll last week put at 93 per cent, the opposition can point to a survey from the same firm released last month that found a mere two per cent of the country felt they were thriving.

The divergent results might leave some people scratching their heads, but observers are attributing them to several factors including broad, conceptually misleading questions such as whether the country is “heading in the right or wrong direction”.

Asean urged to end border row quickly

5/05/2011
Achara Ashayagachat
Bangkok Post

Thai and Cambodian civil society organizations have jointly called for a ceasefire between the two countries and encouraged Asean to quickly deploy their observers to maintain the permanent ceasefire to end the suffering of the people along the border.

Suntaree Saeng--ging, secretary general of the Thai NGO Coordinating Committee, together with Thun Saray, president of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, jointly announced that the current border conflicts have caused internal displaced people, especially women and children, and a continuation of violence has been worried about the prolonged armed conflicts.

The two NGO leaders took the opportunity at the Asean People Forum here to issue a joint statement to express their sorrow for those affected, injured and killed in the border disputes which have been aggravated since early February.

“As soldiers from both sides have been exchanging shells and bullets, human rights of the villagers from border communities remained violated—the rights to food, security, and education are not guaranteed,” said Mr Thun.

Courts, Self-Censorship Hurting Expression: Pa Nguon Tieng on VOA

Courts, Self-Censorship Hurting Expression: Broadcaster

Pa Nguon Teang, director of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media on 'Hello VOA', on Monday. (Photo: by Men Kimseng)

Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Thursday, 04 November 2010

“The courts have become the most popular tool for the government to use to pressure rights activists and journalists.”

Cambodia’s courts have emerged as a tool for the restriction of the freedom of expression, while rights activists and journalists alike have begun a practice of self-censorship, a prominent media director said Monday.

“The courts have become the most popular tool for the government to use to pressure rights activists and journalists,” Pa Nguon Teang, director of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, told “Hello VOA.”

Demonstrations are difficult to get permission for and subsequently face heavy police crackdowns, he said.

“People can express their opinions on general issues, but when it comes to touching things that benefit the leaders, it is impossible,” he said. “This means a government intent to restrict people’s rights and intention to protest against the wrongdoing or benefits of authorities.”

He noted the recent police beating of a land rights protester during the visit last week of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as an example of an obvious repression of the right to free expression.

Pa Nguon Teang, who is also the director of Voice of Democracy radio, said he himself has had to walk a fine line to avoid prosecution.

“We seem to work under pressure,” he said. “We are cautious. But despite knowing we will face [court] challenges, we still do it. We always work in a way that ensures what we do does not violate the law. If they arrest us or abuse us, this then will surely reflect a violation of the law [and show that] we are just victims.”

As a journalist, Hang Chakra did not commit any mistake

Wednesday, August 27, 2009
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Pa Nguon Tieng, the director of the Cambodian Center for Independent Publication and president of the Voice of Democracy radio, signed a joint letter with 7 other journalist organizations and institutions that was sent to the king regarding Hang Chakra’s case. Pa Nguon Tieng indicated that, according to the information law, Hang Chakra did not commit any mistake as a journalist. As for the jailing of Hang Chakra, it is illegal, the journalist organizations indicated. Pa Nguon Tieng who was also jailed for accusing the government in 2005, indicated that the Phnom Penh municipal court decision to arrest Hang Chakra and send him to jail could be based on a number of irregularities, such as the closed door hearing of the case, and the immediate order issued to arrest Hang Chakra was the court decision not to respond to the delay request made by Hang Chakra’s lawyer.

IRI stops financing democracy broadcasting in Cambodia

Media: Cold sweat at VOD

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.

Organizers: Pro-Democracy Forum Barred by Authorities

Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 October 2007

A pro-democracy forum was thwarted by police and military in Stung Treng province Friday, organizers said, while police said they were breaking up an unlawful gathering.

The Voice of Democracy, an a radio program of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, planned to hold a forum Friday, but program director Pa Nguon Teang said dozens of police and military were deployed outside the gates of the venue that morning, barring villagers from "listening and expressing opinions," in "a violation of the freedom of expression."

Police and soldiers "came to tell us last night not to [hold the forum], and they ordered the structure to be dismantled this morning," Pa Nguon Teang said. "But we did not dismantle it.…This morning, the only goal was not to let us have the forum."

Stung Treng Police Chief Chhuk Komol said police were dispatched to stop an illegal assembly.

"The story is not true. The forum should have had permission from the provincial authorities," he said. Instead, "they do whatever they want, not abiding by law, and they finish their work according to what they want to do."

The head of the new Human Rights Party, an opposition upstart for next year's national elections, is Kem Sokha, the former director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. Chan Saveth, an investigator for the rights group Adhoc, said the authorities had violated the group's right to assemble.

He compared the authorities to a snail in a Cambodian fable. In it, a rabbit and snail agree to race around a pond. But the snail organizes a relay with other strategically placed snails, so that whenever the racing rabbit calls out, the snail in front of him answers. The rabbit is thus tricked into believing he has lost the race.

PPenh muzzling information (Part 2): Ministry of Information says no to additional radio stations

Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The Ministry of Information rejected a license request made Pa Nguon Tieng, president of the Cambodian Voice of Democracy, to set up a new radio station. The Koh Santepheap newspaper reported that, in a letter dated 30 August, Khieu Kanarith, the minister of information, wrote that his ministry has ended all license request to set up new radio and TV stations, until the audiovisual law is be in place. Furthermore, Khieu Kanharith said that, currently, the number of radio and TV stations in the provinces and cities is way too much more that the needs, and they also interrupt the broadcasts made by Phnom Penh or by other local stations. On 02 August, Pa Nguon Tieng applied to obtain a license to operate a radio station to broadcast information about human rights and democracy.

Popular Voice of Democracy broadcast dealt with a severe blow after Kem Sokha's departure

Reduced hours for Voice of Democracy broadcast

Monday, June 04, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Voice of Democracy (VOD), which is financially supported by USAID, had reduced its number of broadcast hours on FM105 radio station, and cancelled its broadcast on FM93.5 station. The Cambodia Daily quoted Pa Nguon Tieng, the current VOD president, saying that VOD reduced its number of broadcast hours on Beehive FM105 radio station, from 5 hours to 2 hours daily, and VOD has cancelled its broadcast through FM93.5 radio station staring 01 June. Pa Nguon Tieng said that VOD, which receives its funding from USAID, will see its funding dried up by 30 September, and VOD has not yet decided whether it will continue its broadcast or not. Pa Nguon Tieng said that he will contact other foreign aid organizations if USAID will stop VOD’s funding. VOD is a popular radio program because of its forthright broadcast of human rights issues and its coverage of democracy-related topics.

CCHR and VOD receive another blow after Kem Sokha's departure

IRI to cut all aid to CCHR

01 May 2007
By Huy Vannak
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

A high-ranking official from the International Republican Institute (IRI) told RFA on Tuesday that IRI decided to cut all the funds it provides to the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) at the end of May, and that it will fund the Voice of Democracy (VOD) radio only until September 2007.

IRI’s decision to cut all the funding took place after the departure of Kem Sokha, former CCHR President, to form his own political party, and also after the splitting of CCHR into two institutions: CCHR under the leadership of Ou Virak, and VOD under the leadership of Pa Nguon Tieng.

Regarding this issue, one official indicated that one reason for the end of the funding is because IRI itself is facing a decrease in its own funding. He also indicated that the IRI will review its decision to cut or continue funding the VOD.

Nevertheless, Ou Virak, CCHR President, claimed that his organization still receives a lot support from other aid organizations.

Pa Nguon Tieng, the VOD leader, discussed his strategy to guarantee the continuity of VOD by saying: “The first strategy is to regroup human resources in answer to the various requests made by fund providers. We don’t want to depend on a single funding source, we will expand our funding sources. Our second strategy consists of strengthening our particular strength, because for VOD, our main target is information, and in the past, VOD was successful in providing independent information.”