Cambodian TV Fails to Cover Protests

Viewers of local television on Sunday would have had no idea the opposition CNRP was staging a mass protest, during which violent clashes with police occurred and water cannons and tear gas were used. Instead, anyone tuned into state-owned TVK or the pro-government broadcasters CTN, CNC, TV3, Bayon TV, Hang Meas and Apsara TV would have been fed the usual daytime-TV diet of Khmer soap operas, karaoke videos and kick-boxing matches. This is not the first time that the nation’s TV channels have issued a media blackout on the country’s most important news items. When CNRP president Sam Rainsy returned to Cambodia in July after almost four years abroad and was met by a crowd of more than 100,000 supporters, TV stations failed to cover the event. … Later, at 8 p.m., TVK broadcast an interview with municipal police chief Chhuon Sovann after clashes had occurred. Mr. Sovann’s main point to TVK was that the protesters had not stayed at Freedom Park, as the authorities had instructed them, and had wandered down the riverside to cause trouble.

 Kim Chan and Dene-Hern Chen
http://Cambodian TV Fails to Cover Protests