Ban on Radio Broadcasts Lifted Amid US Pressure
The Ministry of Information on Saturday lifted a ban on the broadcast of all Khmer-language foreign radio programs by FM stations during the month leading up to the July 28 national election amid swift and harsh rebuke from the U.S. and the broadcasters themselves. The ministry signed off on the ban Tuesday and announced it Friday, claiming that the blackout on any and all foreign programming was needed to assure “neutral” coverage of the election, and warned it would take legal action against anyone who broke it. On Saturday, the ministry attributed the swift about face on the ban to a wave of dissent that had emerged in the aftermath of the ban’s announcement. “According to the requests asking the ministry to [allow the] rebroadcast of all Khmer-language programs via local FM radio stations, the ministry has decided to allow all FM stations renting airtime for foreign programs to continue to broadcast as normal from now on,” it said in a brief, unsigned statement. … [Voice of Democracy Director Pa Nguon Teang] said the need for independent coverage of the election was especially crucial in light of the serious concerns being raised about this year’s voter list. Election monitoring groups who have audited the government’s list say up to 1 million voters could be disenfranchised due to widespread errors, possibly rendering this national election the least fair in 20 years. …
