The criticism from representatives of Radio Free Asia and Voice of
America came after a closed-door meeting with officials from the Council
of Ministers and the ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs and
Information, the Phnom Penh Post reported.
The meeting was "nothing more than a blatant attempt to discourage
objective reporting on the government," RFA said in a statement.
"The Cambodian government clearly does not understand the principles
of a free press or the important role of independent media if it thinks
it can intimidate RFA and dictate what we can or cannot report on," the
statement added.
Chris Decherd, chief of VOA Khmer, said his station would not back
down from reporting "in the same objective and professional manner we
have done for more than five decades, providing timely, accurate" news.
Government officials insisted the meeting was friendly and that professionalism was discussed only in general terms.
"We didn't make any judgment, we just reminded them to look back at
their own mission statement," said Council of Ministers spokesman Phay
Siphan.
3 comments:
First they intimidated Mr U.N envoy to Cambodia for finding the abused of human rights,now radio free Asia and voice of America.Hun sen Cpp has to go for good.
Hun Sen's and his advisors don't know how to deal with publicity relations. With bad publicity like the Mam Sonando's case, the attack on the UN envoy and now the intimidation of US-owned radios stations, this government is committing suicide.
Let's not forget the Vietminh Hun Sen also attacked the Phillipines democratic, the Nepalese Democratic value now attacking the US democratic value of reporting inaccurate news.
Post a Comment