Monday, May 03, 2010

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.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't just look into the situation in which government has suppressed journalists, BUT many journalists being exploited and suppressed by their institution -- see Radio Free Asia (RFA) as example.

We have to examine the two sides of a coin.

Anonymous said...

i wonder why? i have a feeling these journalists are sued because they are irresponsible as in the using ethical code of conduct in their profession, etc... it's not like cambodia forbid freedom of expression, etc, it just we want to make sure journalists are responsible and follow code of conduct or be ethical in their choosing career, that's all!

Anonymous said...

they probably flunked the ethical conduct examin in journalism.

Anonymous said...

Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime

Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...

Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention


Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime

Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...

Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.

"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
  
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union 
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son 
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.  
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation

Illegally use of remote detonation bomb on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.

Lightning strike many airplanes, but did not fall from the sky.  Lightning strike out side of airplane and discharge electricity to ground. 
Source:  Lightning, Discovery Channel

Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters. 
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.

Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice.