Press not so free

Well the notion of freedom of the press in Cambodia is being stripped away threat by threat. Yet another reporter has gone into hiding following a death threat. According to Reporters without borders, Cambodia ranks 108 out of 168 for press freedom.

The second Radio Free Asia reporter in as many months has gone into hiding, this time following a death threat by telephone for reporting on illegal logging.

Lim Viseth, who was investigating reports of illegal logging outlined in a Global Witness report earlier this month, was hiding along the Thai border, where he spoke to VOA Khmer Monday.

"I'm concerned about my safety," Lim Viseth said.

He criticized Prime Minister Hun Sen for remarks in May aimed at another RFA reporter, Keo Nimuol, who also went into hiding.

Lim Viseth said he received a phone call Saturday, in which an unnamed caller told him, "Don't be nasty about the illegal forest report."

"Be careful," the caller said. (Source)

Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which Cambodia is a party, states that everyone has "the right to freedom of opinion and expression" and also the right to "seek, receive and impart" information and ideas "regardless of frontiers." It does not appear that the government is fulfilling its duties with regard to this issue

What is interesting is that there are three indices for measuring how free the press is in a certain country. For example, Cambodia is classified as "not free" by Freedom in the World, "mostly free" by Index of Economic Freedom, and "difficult situation" by Worldwide Press Freedom Index. There is no consensus on the freedom of the press in this country, but when reporters receive death threats then I think it is safe to say that the press is not free.