• Politics

Foreign Envoys Call for Press Cooperation for Election

• By Teng Yalirozy
• May 3, 2023 5:50 PM

PHNOM PENH – Ensuring press freedom is to help the country’s development, foreign envoys said on the 30th World Press Freedom Day, calling on cooperation and partnership with journalists ahead of the July election.

US, French, Japanese and EU ambassadors got together with national and international journalists at the War Correspondents Memorial in front of the French Embassy to mark the date on May 3.

They also commemorated the 37 journalists, correspondents and photographers including 10 Japanese, seven French, seven Americans, five Cambodians, two Swiss, one Australian, one German, one Dutch, one Laotian, one Indian and one Australian, who lost their lives during the civil war.

US Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy said the occasion was not only to honor the sacrificed journalists but also to celebrate all media in Cambodia. “It’s a day to celebrate, especially in democratic societies,” he said.

Cambodia had demonstrated the ability to have an independent media  but this was under a lot of stress now, he said, encouraging support from all sides.

Japanese Ambassador Atsushi Ueno said Cambodia had achieved significant development and could forge ahead with the promotion of journalism and freedom of expression.

“I’m convinced that ensuring the freedom of the press will contribute to further development in Cambodia and the consolidation of its sovereignty,” he said.

Ueno said freedom of the press was becoming increasingly important for the election in July.

“It’s necessary to create an environment where an independent media can deliver accurate information to the public,” he said.

Ambassador Murphy said he had a few concerns about the election. Hence, guaranteeing press freedom and giving citizens informed choices was crucial for the success of the election.

“We don’t make a choice,” he said. “We work with whatever government the Cambodian people choose without choosing a side but we do think the Cambodian people deserve to have an open society, greater transparency, freedom of expression, association, and the ability to form the political party and contest.”

French Ambassador Jacques Pellet said press freedom is a fundamental pillar of any democratic society. “It allows holding governments accountable for their actions and ensures that citizens are informed in a fair and impartial manner.”

Hang Samphors, team leader at Cambodian Female Journalist, said deterioration of press freedom and the closure of the independent media prevented the vulnerable from getting access to reliable sources of information.

“Being a journalist myself, I want to see Cambodia enjoy full press freedom, free from pressure and intimidation, and become a country where freedom of speech and freedom of the press are core values,” she said.

Jack Brook, a US journalist at Camboja who has been working in Cambodia for two years, said there are some challenges facing journalists, especially Cambodian-based journalists.

As a foreign journalist, he sometimes found it hard to get access to information but thanked colleagues for help.

“There could be more support to ensure that stories that aren’t getting told get told,” Brook said. “The talented journalist could be given support so they can have a decent livelihood.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen, in a statement celebrating Press Freedom Day, said the government is committed to promoting and respecting the rights to and freedom of expression in accordance with the constitution and the Press Law of Cambodia.

 He called on national and international journalists in Cambodia to carry out their work according to professional ethics, avoiding misrepresenting the truth, causing the public to lose faith and undermining the honor and dignity of journalists and the values of the media as a whole.