Civil and political rights

After the Trump administration this year axed most U.S. foreign aid and public broadcasters serving parts of the world with scant press freedom, the fallout laid bare the shaky crutch propping up independent media in underserved regions. ...

A ministry of Information spokesperson has shared that more than 100 domestic and international journalists reported on the recent armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. ...

Shelling between Thai and Cambodian forces has eased after a fragile ceasefire was reached in Malaysia on July 28, but the information war between the countries’ netizens continues to unfold online. ...

The spread of false information on social media platforms has stirred public confusion and fear, and most worryingly, has disrupted military and police investigations. This has even extended to alerting the enemy to the capture of their own intelligence operatives, warned Cambodia’s Anti-Cyber Crime Department. ...

The Ministry of Information has issued an urgent call for all content creators, social media users and members of the public to immediately cease any form of insult or defamation targeting foreign heads of state or leaders, even in the context of current border tensions. ...

Thailand is employing information warfare tactics and conducting a disinformation campaign to fabricate pretexts for its military aggression against Cambodia, all while falsely portraying itself as the victim, according to Cambodian officials. ...

At 2am this morning, Thailand launched a heavy artillery attack on Cambodian territory in the Eagle Field area of Preah vihear. At 2.30am, Thai forces began attacking Tathav, Phnom 333 and Phnom Khmoach and launched drones. ...

As the 20th Asia Media Summit (AMS 2025) launched in Siem Reap on July 22, a resounding message emerged from media leaders across the Asia-Pacific region. ...

Cambodia will spotlight the growing challenges of fake news, malinformation and disinformation at this year’s 20th Asia Media Summit (AMS), which will take place in Siem Reap from July 21 to 24. Notably, Thailand will not participate in this year’s summit. ...

Cambodia’s courts remain politicized and opaque, reinforcing impunity for those who target activists and government critics, rights group CIVICUS said Wednesday. ...

Recently, several social media users have shared images of a boy holding his little brother, alongside a picture of their mother who had supposedly passed away, claiming to raise money for humanitarian efforts to help orphans. ...

The amendment to the Constitution to revoke the citizenship of Cambodians who collude with foreigners against the Kingdom’s national interests is imminent. Today, both the prime minister and the president of the Senate emphasised the necessity of this law, comparing it to similar laws already ...

In recent months, the Ministry of Information has recorded a significant spike in fake news, particularly surrounding the Cambodian-Thai border issue. ...

Independent media outlets worldwide are facing an unprecedented crisis, as revealed in an in-depth report released Friday, which found that the 2025 U.S. aid cuts—removal of $150 million in annual support—triggered widespread closures, layoffs, and a surge in disinformation across dozens of countries. ...

Press freedom in Cambodia continues to deteriorate amid rising legal threats, shrinking funds, and tighter restrictions, a report by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM) revealed, indicating a landscape of fear for media practitioners. ...

Cambodia witnessed a sharp rise in cases of harassment against journalists in 2024, according to the latest report by the Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA), with a notable 28 percent increase in total incidents compared to the previous year. ...

An online publisher and two others have been charged with three criminal charges, related to the impact on the morality of the army, including a comment to discriminate against the force. ...

When the possibility of military action raises its head, the role of journalists becomes more crucial than ever. ...

A Ministry of Information spokesperson has reminded all media representatives — professional, non-professional and social media users — to avoid publishing information that could harm national security, damage relations with other countries or endanger law enforcement officials and personnel as they carry out their duties. ...

The Court of Appeal of Phnom Penh on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a lower court against union leader Morm Rithy — a decision which has been condemned as unjust by his lawyer and unionists who attended the trial. ...

The Ministry of Information has criticized non-governmental organizations and press groups for “pursuing their own political agendas”, portraying negative press freedom in Cambodia, in relation to jailed environmental journalist Uk Mao’s case. The ministry claimed that Mao “violated journalistic ethics”. ...

Former Okhna Heng Sithy, who has levelled accusations of corruption and complicity in online scam operations at senior members of the Cambodian government, has been extradited from Russia to face charges of “aggravated blackmail”. He arrived in the Kingdom last night, May 24. ...

Journalists and editors from leading Cambodian media outlets gathered today, May 23, for a landmark training session on the ethical and responsible portrayal of children and youth in media coverage. ...

Cambodian authorities have announced that they intend to seek the cooperation from Thai authorities to extradite a Cambodian woman named Chou Chhin, who they say broadcast misleading information about the Kingdom’s ongoing trade negotiations with the US, via her “Women Overseas” Facebook page. ...