We, the undersigned civil society organizations, welcome the government’s decision to rescind shocking measures issued last week to censor Cambodia’s local news media in the final weeks before the July 28 National Assembly elections, and condemn the decision ever to implement such measures. We remain deeply concerned about an order to ban foreign news reporting of election polling which will come into force five days before the vote.

We condemn this ban in the strongest possible terms and urge the government to remove all restrictions on the news media during this critical pre-election period. We also call for the government to guarantee that it will not repeat its attempts to censor the airwaves or any other media, including social media on the internet.

The more expansive of two separate orders issued by the Ministry of Information in the past two weeks prohibited FM radio stations from broadcasting foreign news programs in Khmer and from reporting on foreigners playing any role in the campaign. It was initially designed to last through election day, but was revoked on June 29.

An earlier order, issued on June 21, bans all media from broadcasting foreign media reports regarding opinion polls, surveys and election results. This ban remains in place, and will take effect on July 23, five days before election day.

“The June 21 ban’s focus on foreign media indicates that its true purpose is to limit Cambodians’ access to independent media sources that might be critical of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP),” said Pa Ngoun Teang, head of the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM).

Local Khmer media are not as free to report on sensitive issues as their foreign counterparts, in part due to their vulnerability to domestic judicial threats. This can result in self-censorship. Ownership of local media is also dominated by the ruling party and television networks are entirely controlled by the ruling party.

“This is censorship by the government in the most oppressive and undemocratic form,” said Vorn Pao, president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA). “And it’s going to hit at a time when Cambodians need information from independent news outlets the most. Instead, they will only have access to pro-government, pro-CPP sources.”

“Few people are under the illusion that this election will be free and fair – there are simply too many problems, from the flawed voters’ list, to the intimidation tactics, to the relentless personal attacks on the opposition,” said Dr. Pung Chhiv Kek, president of the Cambodian League for the Promotion & Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO). “But these attempts at directly censoring independent foreign media reports suggest that the government doesn’t even care about making it look fair and balanced.”

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, call upon the government to take specific steps to ensure a free and fair media in the run-up to the July 28 elections. Specifically, we call for the government to:

1. Immediately revoke the June 21 order banning foreign media reports regarding opinion polls, surveys and election results beginning five days before election day;

2. Refrain from further media censorship and/or media shutdowns prior to and on election day;

3. Refrain from ordering direct or indirect censorship of the internet, including partial blockages designed to limit access to social media and/or websites containing foreign news reports or news reports which may be critical of the ruling party;

4. Open up and ensure meaningful television airtime for all parties.

This joint statement is endorsed by:
1. Boeung Kak Lake Community (BKL)
2. Borei Keila Community (BK)
3. Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM)
4. Cambodian Confederation Unions (CCU)
5. Cambodian Food and Service Worker Federation (CFSWF)
6. Cambodia's Independent Civil-Servants Association (CICA)
7. Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
8. Cambodian Worker Center for Development (CWCD)
9. Cambodian Youth Network (CYN)
10. Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC)
11. Community Legal Education Centre (CLEC)
12. Community Peace-Building Network (CPN)
13. Equitable Cambodia (EC)
14. Farmer Development Association (FDA)
15. Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA)
16. LICADHO Canada (LC)
17. Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (NICFEC)
18. People’s Action for Change (PAC)
19. Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT)
20. The Cambodian NGO Committee on CEDAW (NGO-CEDAW)
21. The Cambodian Tourism and Service Workers Federation (CTSWF)
22. The Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC)
23. The National Democratic Institute (NDI)
24. Thmor Kol Community

PDF: Download full statement
MP3: Listen to audio version in Khmer