កំពូលអ្នកវិភាគនយោបាយ ត្រូវបានវាយប្រហារតាមហ្វេសប៊ុក

22 ខែមិថុនា 2012
Originally posted at: http://khmersme.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/%E1%9E%80%E1%9F%86%E1%9E%96%E1%9E%BC%E1%9E%9B%E1%9E%A2%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%93%E1%9E%80%E1%9E%9C%E1%9E%B7%E1%9E%97%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%82%E1%9E%93%E1%9E%99%E1%9F%84%E1%9E%94%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%99-%E1%9E%8F%E1%9F%92/

កំពូងលអ្នកវិភាគនយោបាយខ្មែរមួយចំនួន ដែលក្នុងនោះ មានលោក សយ សុភាព លោកជុំ កុសល លោកឈឹមផលវរុណ និងលោកសោមឆាយ៉ា កាលពីម្សិលមិញ ត្រូវ ក្រុមអ្នកនិយមហ្វេសប៊ុក ធ្វើការវាយប្រហារចំៗថា ជាអ្នកនយោបាយអែបអប ឡេមឡឺម និង និយាយភូតកុហក គ្មានការពិតច្រើន។

ការលើកឡើងនេះ បានកើតឡើង បន្ទាប់ពីសារព័ត៌មានក្នុងស្រុកមួយចំនួ ចុះផ្សាយពីការកាត់ដី(ភូមិសម្តេចហេងសំរិន)ចំនួនពីរភូមិទៅឲ្យវៀតណាម ដែលអះអាង ដោយលោកវ៉ា គឹមហុង។ ពួកគេនិយាយថា ហេតុអ្វី ក៏អ្នកនយោបាយបោកប្រាសទាំងនេះ មិននាំគ្នានិយាយផង ពីបញ្ហាព្រំដែនខាងកើត? តែបើខាងលិចវិញ ឮអីបន្តិច មិនបានទេ តាំបង្កើតមូលនិធិបោកប្រាសគេ ប្រមូលលុយភ្លាម។ តែចំពោះព្រំដែនខាងកើត ទោះបីជាប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ទូទាំងប្រទេស មានការខឹងសម្បារ ឬមិនគាំទ្រ សកម្មភាពប្តូរភូមិគ្នានេះក្តី ក៏អ្នកនយោបាយ បោកប្រាស់ដើម្បីលាភសក្ការៈនេះ មិនអើពើដែរ។ ពួកគេសួរថា តើពួកគេវិភាគនយោបាយ ដើម្បីបោកប្រាស់ ឬដើម្បី ជាតិប្រជាជនដែរ?។ ពួកគេ គួរតែលើកមកនិយាយដោយស្មោះត្រង់ពីមូលហេតុនៃការដោះដួរភូមិខ្មែរនេះ។ ហេតុអី ចាំបាច់ លាក់មុខដូចអណ្តើកក្នុងស្នូកធ្វើអី? ចេញក្បាល មកនិយាយខ្លះទៅ តែមិនត្រូវនិយាយការពារយួន ឬគណបក្សកាន់អំណាចទេ។

Cambodian People’s Party Wins Huge Majority in Polls [... only through cheating]

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen gestures after casting his ballot in local elections at Ta Khmau town, in Kandal province, some 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Phnom Penh, Sunday, June 3, 2012. Hun Sen's ruling party was expected to win the elections in a vote that monitors say is tainted by vote buying and other irregularities. (Photo: AP)

Monday, 04 June 2012
Reporters, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“The new leadership in the village and commune must change”

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party won local elections in an estimated 1,592 communes nationwide, a wide majority of the total 1,633, officials said Monday.

The opposition Sam Rainsy Party won an estimated 22 communes, with the Human Rights Party following with 18 after Sunday’s polls. Officials said it appeared unlikely that either of two royalist parties won any communes.

Opposition officials told reporters Monday the high number of seats for the Cambodian People’s Party was a result of irregularities and voter intimidation.

Little Access to Media Ahead of Sunday’s Vote: Experts

Pa Nguonteang, Executive Director, Cambodian Center for Independent Media. (Photo: Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer)

Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Men Kimseng, VOA Khmer | Washington, D.C

“Media, especially radio and television, are very influential on voters in Cambodia, but almost all of them are under the influence of the ruling party.”

Political parties vying for seats in the local commune councils have access to media, but it is still unequal, making it hard for voters to make informed decisions, a media specialist says.

“Media, especially radio and television, are very influential on voters in Cambodia, but almost all of them are under the influence of the ruling party,” Pa Nguon Teang, executive director of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media, told “Hello VOA” Monday.

Cambodia has 99 radio and 17 TV stations registered at Ministry of Information as of early 2012. Out of these there are only a few radio stations operated by NGOs or by opposition parties.

Most TV stations are controlled by powerful business interests friendly to the Cambodian People’s Party, Pa Nguon Teang said. Voters, then, can be misled by these stations and state media, which broadcast positively for the CPP and avoid topics like land grabs, the murder of activists and others, he said.

Media Access Uneven in Upcoming Campaign Period: Monitors

SRP commune election campaign in Phnom Penh (Photo: Sam Ol posted on Facebook)

SRP commune election campaign in Battambang (Photo: Sor Chandeth posted on Facebook)

Thursday, 17 May 2012
Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

“We don’t have the resources to deliver our political platform and our activities.”

As 10 parties prepare to kick off campaigning for local polls next month, election monitors say they see a concerning disparity in access to mass media and other continued irregularities.

The official 15-day campaign period begins Friday, but Koul Panha, head of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said smaller parties have little ability to use TV or radio to get their messages across.

The Cambodian People’s Party dominates the airwaves, and other parties have long complained that its hold on media, especially television, imbalances the election process.

“There is a big gap between parties in their ability to use mass media, especially TV and radio,” Koul Panha said.

Mr. Soy Sopheap is a reporter?!?!

Soy Sopheap (Photo: DAP-news)

19 January 2012
Anonymous observation

Upon hearing what is purported to be news presented by Mr. Soy Sopheap, a foreign journalist laughs! He draws distinction between news reporting and activist's protesting. He calls Mr. Soy Sopheap's news reporting an activist protesting!

Mr. Soy Sopheap is an activist!

Lopsided election coverage highlighted in new report

Friday, 28 October 2011
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

Biased election coverage is under fire in a new study from the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia that found that 71 per cent of political activities aired on evening Cambodian TV over a month-long period showed a rosy picture of the ruling party.

Images of Cambodian Peoples Party members back slapping, hand shaking and ribbon cutting were partnered with routine blastings of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party on the TVK, Bayon and CTN television networks.

In the period from September 1 to October 20, the SRP was afforded just 20 per cent of political coverage on TV between 5 pm and 11 pm, largely with what COMFREL executive director Koul Panha said was less-than-sympathetic analysis.

“I think that there is a lack of equity in broadcasts [about] the … activities of the political parties on the television and radio stations, which will not ensure free and fair elections,” she said yesterday.

A Public Service Broadcasti​ng Model for Developing Countries: The Case of Cambodia

Some academic findings below might shed some lights on the need and challenges to establish independent media in Cambodia:

Here are some quotes from the PhD dissertation titled "A Public Service Broadcasting Model for Developing Countries: The Case of Cambodia" by Sothearith IM:

- "The prerequisites for the establishment of a PBS system hardly exist in Cambodia at the time the study was conducted in 2008."

- This was due to the fact that the ruling party dominated the political scene and strictly controls the existing media system, from which it derived important political benefits;

- ...Civil society and donors were neither sufficiently strong nor had an interest in exerting pressure on the government to reform the existing media system and to place the establishment of a PBS on its agenda; and Cambodian society lacked a participatory culture, which was one of the crucial requirements for establishment of a PBS system as well as for democracy.

- "...an independent media system such as a PBS could easily emerge when political life was no longer controlled by a single political party."

KI-Media Note: PBS stands for Public Broadcasting System
Im Sothearith - A Public Service Broadcasting Model for Developing Countries the Case of Cambodia
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/60926065?access_key=key-jln35acxy6bjb8pfq6s

Media critic: Hun Sen blasts VOA, RFA 'insults'

Monday, 25 July 2011
Uong Ratana
The Phnom Penh Post

Prime Minister Hun Sen lashed out at Voice of America and Radio Free Asia at a press conference on Friday, saying the news programmes were “inferior”, inaccurate and unfair.

In response to a question about allegations that he has interfered in the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s work and halted its third case, the premier said VOA and RFA reporters needed to “insult” the ruling Cambodian People’s Party in order to draw salaries.

“If [VOA and RFA] did not insult the CPP, they wouldn’t have a salary ... If [you have] no salary, come to work for the local radio and I will pay the salary,” Hun Sen said. “You are Khmer, you speak Khmer, you should do something according to Khmer values.”

Hun Sen also said that he would rather see the court fail than its trials cause war.

Interview between Soy Assopheap and Dechor Hun Xen: A political satire by Anonymous

News Media in the Kingdom of Wonder - Poem in Khmer by Spean Tep

http://www.box.net/shared/jya3os0msbixrm08olf1

In Cambodia, Comedians Double as Government Propagandists

Colonel Chuong Chy, who like many of Cambodia's famous comedians is also an officer in the prime minister's special bodyguard unit, performs under the stage name Koy. Though his stage character is flamboyant, in person he is terse and severe.

The popular comedian Colonel Ou Bunnarith, aka Krem (L), performs with his troupe at the studio of the Cambodian television station Bayon.

Chek, whose real name is Colonel Chhum Bunchhoeurn, in an interview, still wearing his makeup.A Cambodian comedy troupe performs in Phnom Penh.

San Mao is reported by The Phnom Penh Post as Colonel Thou Chamrong

Prum Manh was also reported as a CPP colonel by The Phnom Penh Post

Jun 15 2011
By Julia Wallace
The Atlantic

"We work for the prime minister, so why should we perform for Sam Rainsy? ... If we eat a person's food, we have to work for that one." - Krem, aka Colonel Ou Bunnarith

In the state-aligned media that dominates the country's airwaves, enormously popular comedians, often bearing the rank of colonel in the prime minister's personal bodyguard unit, inject the party line into Cambodian popular culture

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- One recent Sunday afternoon, television audiences across Cambodia watched a middle-aged man named Krem as he was introduced to the mother of his young girlfriend.

The mother, Oeurn, looked dubiously at her daughter's poorly dressed, extravagantly mustachioed suitor.

"How did you spend the Cambodian New Year?" Oeurn asked him.

"I went to Preah Vihear," Krem replied, referring to a contested 11th century temple on the Thai border that has sparked several skirmishes between Cambodian and Thai forces over the past few years. "We performed comedy for the soldiers who protect us from Thai invasion. I would like to ask the New Year's angel to protect our soldiers and let them defeat the enemy."

A bit later, Krem abruptly announced to Oeurn, "Phnom Penh municipality now has less garbage and is cleaner. Do you know who did that?"

"Who?"

"It is because of Excellency Kep Chuktema, the governor. He has educated people and broadcast it on television not to litter, so now there is less garbage and no more bad smell."

It might not be precisely how every Cambodian villager addresses his prospective mother-in-law, but the exchange was par for the course on Bayon TV, where Krem's wildly popular comedy troupe performs a similar sketch every week, with goofy domestic scenarios routinely breaking into extravagant praise for government policy or officials aligned with the ruling Cambodian People's Party. The propaganda became even more pointed in late April, during 13 days of deadly border clashes with Thai forces.

Bayon, owned by the daughter of Cambodia's strongman prime minister, Hun Sen, is not alone: this kind of politicized comedy is shown on all of the country's eight television stations -- performed by comedians who, frequently, are also paid members of Hun Sen's personal bodyguard unit. Many of the comedians bear the rank of colonel or lieutenant colonel.

Say NO to CTN and pro-CPP music productions: Khmer Guardian

http://www.box.net/shared/rmt7akrv7eku9n60lz03

Cambodia's ministry officials trained for media, public relations and spokesperson [-How about no public talking under the influence of Whisky?]

July 20, 2010
Xinhua

A professional training course on "Media, Public Relations and Spokesperson" was given here to 44 trainers from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, official news agency AKP reported on Tuesday.

The opening of the course was presided over by Senior Minister Im Chhun Lim, Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith.

The five-day course, co-organized by the two ministries under the auspices of German organization of GTZ and started on Monday, focused on basic writing, spokesperson, public relations skills and communication skills, according to AKP.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Im Chhun Lim said it was important for the role of media works, and the providers of information and message in response to the demand for the listeners everywhere who wish to know.

He also said the news information could be a two-blade weapon to be harmful to the political situation and social security if it is released with being insensitive or inconsiderate.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith gave some recommendations to the trainees on what they gained from the course, saying that the spokesperson should have media skills and know how to keep the file because it was important, AKP said.

He said the spokesperson should know what happened in the institution and should respond to the reporters on the ministry leaders' behalf.

Many Factors Availed CPP Sweep: Monitors

By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
01 September 2008

The ruling Cambodian People's Party had among other assets a broad political organization to help its big win in July, election monitors say.

The ruling Cambodian People's Party did even better than its own predictions in July's election, and monitors said in recent interviews it had done so by exploiting the election process and a position of advantage rather than an outright theft of votes.

The CPP dominated the polls in July, winning 90 of 123 National Assembly seats, more than enough to enact legislation, quorum and amend the constitution.

The opposition Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties have accused CPP of stealing votes, but two top monitors said last week that the CPP was able to earn a high number of seats through myriad factors much more complicated.

These included loopholes in the election law, the deletion of voter names from registries, the abuse of administrative forms, widespread use of state assets and local authorities and the help of broadcast media, according to Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, and Hang Puthea, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia.

Koul Panha pointed out that the election law didn't stipulate a budget limit for campaigning, giving the CPP another advantage.

"A lot of upper-hand factors" have not been investigated, he said, "such as money and materials, giving out money to voters, support from local officials who knew which groups of people would vote for what party, messy voter lists and irregularities."

"The loopholes in the law and management of the election did not guarantee a fair election," he added.

The CPP also leveraged other advantages, such as a widespread political organization, the construction of infrastructure and a pre-election row with Thailand over Preah Vihear temple, both monitors said. Broadcasts on television and radio amplified these factors, they said.

"The CPP used the media to propagate its achievements and attract voters," Koul Panha said.

Commune and village chiefs were also a decisive factor this year, Hang Puthea said.

These authorities were able to exercise pressure on voters through a local ballot count, a new procedure this year that allowed them to identify opposition supporters, Hang Puthea said.

Local officials were able to instill bias by warning voters that the CPP would need to win in order for a community to have peace and security, he said.

Though many of the winning factors did not meet international standards for a fair and free election, both monitors said, the CPP also had legitimate reasons for winning seats.

These included economic achievements of the party, its grassroots political networks, powerful officials that solved some crises ahead of the election, and the party's ability to lure supporters away from its rivals.

National Election Committee Chairman Im Suosdey denied the CPP had unfair advantages in the election.

NEC officials followed election law without giving advantages to the CPP, he said, including in the recruitment of officials, the ballot count and throughout the complaints procedure.

Critics argue the NEC is dominated by a majority of CPP-appointed officials, and opposition leader Sam Rainsy said during hearings last week the Constitutional Council, which arbitrates appeals beyond the NEC, followed the CPP line as well.

"I don't think the election made any party gain the upper-hand over other parties," Im Sousdey said. "You claimed alleged upper-hand factors only after the election results had come out. It is not true. The NEC only abides by the law and doesn't want to give anyone the upper-hand."

Amendments to the election law will have to be done democratically, through legislation passed by the National Assembly, he said, and not through "groundless allegations" made by the losers of an election.

SRP lawmaker Son Chhay, however, said a biased NEC colluded with the ruling party to help it win, by allowing the use of state property and media in the election and not enacting a election finance law.

"The NEC is not independent," Son Chhay said. "It was created to help steal votes for the CPP. There is no neutral institution to file complaints with about the theft of votes. Going to the NEC, it is a puppet of the CPP. Going to Constitutional Council, it is the ruling party's puppet."

CPP lawmaker Chiem Yeap, who is also a member of the CPP's central committee, said the party had won its 90 seats legitimately.

Voters showed their gratitude to a party that liberated them from the Khmer Rouge, built peace, rebuilt the nation and its infrastructure and reduced poverty, he said.

"Let me ask you, where can a vote be stolen?" Chiem Yeap said. "The Sam Rainsy Party had agents who signed the proper electoral process report and party agents of all parties signed this to accept the election results."

The 90-seat win was a surprise, he said, but signaled a trend that could go on in the next commune elections and beyond. The party was looking for 84 or 85 seats this year, but it could win as many as 100 seats in the next general election, he said.

"As soon as I heard the NEC announcement of the unofficial result," he said, "tears of emotion came out of my eyes."

CPP Against Woman

2 July 2008
Op-Ed By Kok Sap
On the web at http://neokhmer.wordpress.com/

Picture means more than words. Look at the CPP brightly red blood flying dancer, a woman, was she supposed to mean something?

In just barely 5 day into the so called official election campaign, CPP own National Election Laws seem exposing its chauvinism already. Mme. Mu Sochua, a Khmer and woman MP candidate from one of the contending parties, was reported to have been assaulted by a Royal Armed Forces General who happens to be a CPP official too. She was not only nearly run over but indecently exposed in daylight too. This isolated incident makes Viet sex workers in modern Phnom Penh laugh so hard at CPP hot shots.

Speaking of fair campaign, look at General Hoc Lundi National Police Boss, an alleged 1997 coup lynch man, orders his uniformed officers to campaign for CPP since 2008 started. The same time CPP Ministers order employees to volunteer and campaign for CPP a long time ago too.

Just days before the campaign kick off, the CPP's Foreign Minister (a Killing Fields prison warden) pulled a punch below waist line on a meek journalist who merely reported what was already known. He sued then arrested and illegally imprisoned poor man. On top of that Sihanouk was told to warn his followers not to use his image during the campaigning. Imagine even killing fields God King was mistreated too. This is clearly a lèse majesté.

The contenders are already at disadvantage since CPP has state owned TV-Radio, press/media, state owned means and paid employees, tanks, planes and big guns, millions of dollar, armed guards, 4 million Viets and Kings in its pockets. Nonetheless CPP seems more panicking and wagging its tail at its opponents.

Mme. Mu Sochua assailant should be prosecuted on sexual harassment, physical abuse, and misuse state owned property to conduct personal political agendas charges.

TVK announces allocation of air time for parties [... TVK "fair and balanced" campaign coverage is mainly a "fairy" tale]

Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Dan Poynton
The Mekong Times

Leading state TV channel TVK announced yesterday its allocation of air time to political parties competing in the national election for its daily Equity News election program.

Equity News is funded by the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Australian government.

The daily 15-minute program – broadcast after the 7pm news – provides “fair and balanced campaign coverage” during the month-long run-up to the July 27 election, according to a TVK/UNDP press statement.

The allocation of air time to the 11 parties running in the election has been endorsed by the National Election Committee and this year gives greater weight to parties fielding candidates in the 2008 election rather than the role they played in past elections, according to the statement.

An 80 percent loading goes to parties fielding candidates in all 123 constituencies, and a 20 percent loading to their past performance in the 2003 and 2007 national elections.

“Less emphasis has been placed on past history and the privileges of incumbency and more opportunity accorded to opposition and emerging parties with less access to the media between ballots,” said the statement.

The Equity News website claims that the program is “seen as a breakthrough in Cambodian broadcasting for its balanced and impartial coverage of the election campaign.”

Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL), told The Mekong Times he agrees with the Equity News claim, but stressed all TV channels and media – including TVK – should increase their political coverage between election periods, and should include more opposition opinions about government projects.

“The other channels and media should adopt this [Equity News] model; they should be enforced [to do so] through the legal framework,” he said. “Between elections [however] TV channels don’t cover enough. There are a lot of social and development programs, but there should be more political opinion about these programs from the opposition.”

Koul Panha said most people in Cambodia watch so much television, that its influence by far out-dominates all other media, and so it is important that TV coverage is more equitable.

“In [the] 2003 and 2007 [national elections], the program was fair. In 2008 we will observe,” he said.

In conjunction with Equity News, TVK’s Equity Weekly program – running since May 2007 – provides a 40-minute weekly summary of election news every Saturday.