Freedom of expression

During her historic visit to Cambodia, Samantha Power, administrator for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), announced an additional $5 million in support for civil society, workers and independent media. ...

Despite the rapid digitalization of Cambodia’s economy and society, many online citizens continue to struggle with digital illiteracy – particularly vulnerable groups exposed to online discrimination and fraud. As digitalization efforts increase, experts are urging the government to implement laws that protect social media users and ...

A recent recommendation from the Ministry of Information urging provincial departments to monitor and control public sentiment, particularly on social media, has raised concerns about whether the primary intent is to maintain stability or stifle local opinions. ...

Senior government official Sun Chanthol highlighted the potential of the recent groundbreaking of the $1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal project to U.S investors that can benefit Cambodia’s economy. He also said freedom of expression in the country has improved, contrary to the views of civil society ...

The arrest of Cambodian journalist Mech Dara in late September has raised concerns about press freedom, but the Ministry of Information has defended the move, stating that the charges against him are legal and unrelated to his journalism. ...

The Permanent Mission of Cambodia to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva on Tuesday criticised the request from human rights experts at the UN to suspend the Cambodian Press Charter, claiming it was made with insufficient evidence. ...

The Ministry of Information has set a short- and long-term strategic plan for the development of the information and audio-visual sector over the next five years to contribute to the government’s reform on the information and audio-visual sector. ...

The Ministry of Information has printed 20,000 copies of the Charter for Professional Journalism for free distribution to journalists as a means for strengthening ethics and encouraging responsible journalism. The distribution campaign began on August 23, 2024.​ ...

Government officials and armed forces condemned anti-Cambodia-Lao-Vietnam Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) activists and pledged to suppress any activities initiated by the “extremist opposition groups” based overseas who are “attempting to overthrow the government”. ...

Opposition to the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) project continues to grow abroad, with protests by Khmer citizens in South Korea and Australia on Sunday, August 11. ...

Cambodia’s first “Charter for Professional Journalism” is designed to elevate journalistic ethics and standards across all forms of media, including content creators and those involved in make-money-online (MMO) activities. ...

Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra emphasised the significance of the newly established “Charter for Professional Journalism”, highlighting its ongoing contribution to help review the draft of the amendment to the Press Law. ...

The Ministry of Information seemingly rushed the promulgation of the Charter for Professional Journalism on Tuesday, only days after the deadline for input by media associations with just a few suggestions included. ...

Journalists from Cambodia and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, as well as China, participated in the third Mekong journalism training workshop on the role of media in combatting disinformation and fake news in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) context. ...

Senate President Hun Sen proposed drafting a law against people who claim that Cambodia did not experience a genocide and wanted to start a “color revolution”. A political analyst has said the law would further shrink citizens’ freedom of expression in relation to historical events. ...

In one of his final interviews before departing Cambodia, US Ambassador Patrick Murphy sat down with Kiripost’s Prak Chan Thul to reflect on his legacy and the bilateral relations with the Southeast Asian nation. ...

The Permanent Mission of Cambodia to the United Nations (UN) Office and other International Organisations in Geneva have criticised a joint news release by some UN experts, accusing Cambodia of harassment and persecution against human rights defenders. ...

Following the announcement that The Phnom Penh Post, and Post Khmer, its Khmer language sister paper, will cease publication in print form on March 29, several social observers, government officials, intellectuals and readers were prompted to share their thoughts at the end of more than ...

The Phnom Penh Post will cease publication by March 29 following a significant fall in advertising revenues since the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn, although the paper will continue operating online. ...

The Ministry of Information is finalizing the long-overdue draft law on the access to information, known as the “A2I draft law”, as highlighted in its work direction for 2024. The draft law is currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, according to documents viewed ...

Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra has reiterated the importance of traditional media, noting that it has an important role to play in a digital context, where true and false information are often mixed together. ...

Tep Asnarith, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information, has reiterated that freedom of the press does not extend to messages that are political in nature, or contain an agenda. ...

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has developed guidelines for the governance of digital platforms to combat misinformation and hate speech, and promote transparency and freedom of expression. ...

The Journalism Situation in Cambodia Report reveals there were nine cases of harassment recorded against journalists between July and September, including intimidation in the run-up to the elections. ...