Government Not To Revise Internet News

By Soy Sophea

The Royal Government of Cambodia does not have any intentions to revise news published on the Internet in response to media, Khieu Kanharith, Cambodian government
spokesperson.

The Cambodian government will not make changes to news reported by foreign media reported because it supports the freedom of press, he said in response to unmentioned foreign news agencies that accused the Cambodian of reviewing their content.

“Those foreign news media might be referring to a draft of a law related to audio being processed in the Ministry of Information,” Kanharith said.

Explaining the meaning of terms presented in the draft, he said the ministry would be able to revise all Internet news, amounting to nearly 200 million pages per day.

He said he met with Cambodian press associations in order to find a resolution and to pass a code of ethnics for working journalists. The Minister of Information Kanharith
announced that after the meeting with the heads of press associations, the ministry will issue eight press cards for each media organization.

The press cards will put and end to unauthorized media content. He said press card holders have been using their cards illegally, threatening for money. Those of whom who don’t have media pass issued by the Ministry of Information can be authorized by the
attainment of a pass from their media organization. He assured that the value of the both cards are the same.

Pen Samthy, President of the Club of Cambodian Journalists, welcomed the Ministry of Information’s commitment.

“It is an appropriate measure to reduce the misunderstanding of the use of the press cards,” he said.

However, he urged the Ministry of Information to monitor media licenses. He said that there are many newspapers and magazines that do not publish regularly.

“What we want, we want to have quality of press media not the quantity,” he said. “The ministry should take away their licenses,” he said. “Otherwise the mistakes will be repeated.”