World Press Freedom today
Perhaps in honour of a press day, perhaps not Freedom House, an American non profit organisation, has upgrade Cambodia's status from not free to partly free. The upgrading is based on the removal of prison sentences for the crime of defamation.
In law, defamation is the communication of a statement that makes a false claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may harm the reputation of an individual, business, product, group, government or nation.
Instead in Cambodia the crime of disinformation is being used to silence journalists. In 2006 seven journalists were changed with either defamation or disinformation.
Disinformation is the deliberate dissemination of false information. It may include the distribution of forged documents, manuscripts, and photographs, or propagation of malicious rumours and fabricated intelligence.
And then you have this from KI Media:
A leading rights group Wednesday demanded the closure of the Ministry of Information, calling it biased and a repressive obstacle to press freedom. In a statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights accused the Information Ministry of bias toward the ruling party.
The ministry sought to repress opposition voices from the media and other aid agencies by denying them licenses, often without reason, to broadcast or print their views, the center said.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said he ran a neutral office that helps journalists find information. He said he regretted that the center did not clearly understand the work of the ministry.
Sure, of course it's all a misunderstanding. Of course they are objective, what possible motive is there for bias? Anyone working in the information business knows that objectivity is an impossible goal. All parties are caught up in personal agendas. "We not letting your side voice it's opinion but its not bia or censorship, it just is".
Most places that means that bias is acknowledged and treated as something to be overcome. Not so Cambodia. The Ministry of Information, in its infinite wisdom and Orwellian scariness treats its citizens as children - telling the world they do not understand but they will be educated. "We will give you your opinion".
Last week a news editor was murdered and stuffed in a suitcase. He published the "Voice of Khmer Krom" newspaper.
The autopsy showed that his killer used the 29-year-old journalist’s bicycle brake cables to strangle him with.
Reporters Without Borders called on the government, and particularly the Minister of the Interior Sar Kheng, to commit the necessary resources to an exhaustive investigation into the killing. “We believe it is important not to overlook the professional lead,” the worldwide press freedom organisation added.
Provincial police commissioner Kéo Pisei said the journalist’s body had been dumped in the valley three to four days before it was discovered. No clues had yet been found which could help identify any suspects. Police were not apparently giving priority to any particular lead. The body was returned to the family on the same evening and burial was expected to take place very shortly.
Pov Sam Ath was the founder and editor of Samleng Khmer Krom for which he obtained a publication licence from the information ministry in 2000. He had to renew it in January 2007, because the newspaper only appeared irregularly. Many of its articles focused on local news. (RSF)
The Khmer Krom live in Vietnam but are ethnic Cambodians. They were Cambodian up to 1949 but found themselves in Vietnam when the territory changed hands. They are persecuted by the Vietnamese government and are denied their rights to practice their religion. For more details see here. However Cambodia does not want to accept them.
General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, claimed that for Khmer Kampuchea Krom, up to now, there is nothing to prove that they are Khmer citizens.
It is a very contentious issue in Cambodia today and has become more volatile in recent months because of the protests of the monks. Despite all this the Interior Ministry is claiming that the murder of the editor was personal and committed by his girlfriend's son. It is hardly the first time that random people have been selected to pay the piper to cover for politicians. Only time will tell if this is one of those times. Chances are that this story will be buried and there will be no resolution. The son of the victim's girlfriend will be condemned in a kangaroo court and will spent 10 years in prison.
That's how they do that here! Corruption with a smile. Certainly, without the shadow of a doubt, Cambodia's press is partly free.
In law, defamation is the communication of a statement that makes a false claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may harm the reputation of an individual, business, product, group, government or nation.
Instead in Cambodia the crime of disinformation is being used to silence journalists. In 2006 seven journalists were changed with either defamation or disinformation.
Disinformation is the deliberate dissemination of false information. It may include the distribution of forged documents, manuscripts, and photographs, or propagation of malicious rumours and fabricated intelligence.
And then you have this from KI Media:
A leading rights group Wednesday demanded the closure of the Ministry of Information, calling it biased and a repressive obstacle to press freedom. In a statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights accused the Information Ministry of bias toward the ruling party.
The ministry sought to repress opposition voices from the media and other aid agencies by denying them licenses, often without reason, to broadcast or print their views, the center said.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said he ran a neutral office that helps journalists find information. He said he regretted that the center did not clearly understand the work of the ministry.
Sure, of course it's all a misunderstanding. Of course they are objective, what possible motive is there for bias? Anyone working in the information business knows that objectivity is an impossible goal. All parties are caught up in personal agendas. "We not letting your side voice it's opinion but its not bia or censorship, it just is".
Most places that means that bias is acknowledged and treated as something to be overcome. Not so Cambodia. The Ministry of Information, in its infinite wisdom and Orwellian scariness treats its citizens as children - telling the world they do not understand but they will be educated. "We will give you your opinion".
Last week a news editor was murdered and stuffed in a suitcase. He published the "Voice of Khmer Krom" newspaper.
The autopsy showed that his killer used the 29-year-old journalist’s bicycle brake cables to strangle him with.
Reporters Without Borders called on the government, and particularly the Minister of the Interior Sar Kheng, to commit the necessary resources to an exhaustive investigation into the killing. “We believe it is important not to overlook the professional lead,” the worldwide press freedom organisation added.
Provincial police commissioner Kéo Pisei said the journalist’s body had been dumped in the valley three to four days before it was discovered. No clues had yet been found which could help identify any suspects. Police were not apparently giving priority to any particular lead. The body was returned to the family on the same evening and burial was expected to take place very shortly.
Pov Sam Ath was the founder and editor of Samleng Khmer Krom for which he obtained a publication licence from the information ministry in 2000. He had to renew it in January 2007, because the newspaper only appeared irregularly. Many of its articles focused on local news. (RSF)
The Khmer Krom live in Vietnam but are ethnic Cambodians. They were Cambodian up to 1949 but found themselves in Vietnam when the territory changed hands. They are persecuted by the Vietnamese government and are denied their rights to practice their religion. For more details see here. However Cambodia does not want to accept them.
General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, claimed that for Khmer Kampuchea Krom, up to now, there is nothing to prove that they are Khmer citizens.
It is a very contentious issue in Cambodia today and has become more volatile in recent months because of the protests of the monks. Despite all this the Interior Ministry is claiming that the murder of the editor was personal and committed by his girlfriend's son. It is hardly the first time that random people have been selected to pay the piper to cover for politicians. Only time will tell if this is one of those times. Chances are that this story will be buried and there will be no resolution. The son of the victim's girlfriend will be condemned in a kangaroo court and will spent 10 years in prison.
That's how they do that here! Corruption with a smile. Certainly, without the shadow of a doubt, Cambodia's press is partly free.
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