Cambodia: Authorities shut down one of the country’s last independent media outlets, undermining free expression

16 February: PEN International is alarmed by the Cambodian government’s decision to revoke the license of Voice of Democracy (VOD), an independent media organisation run by the Cambodian Centre for Independent Media (CCIM). As one of Cambodia’s last remaining independent media outlets, VOD’s forced closure is just the latest example of the Cambodian government’s efforts to censor critical reporting and curtail freedom of expression in the country.

On 9 February, VOD published a news report on its website and radio station claiming that Prime Minister Hun Sen’s eldest son, Hun Manet, had allegedly approved a $100,000 USD aid package to Turkey, an action that Hun Sen has said that only he has the authority to carry out.

On 11 February, Hun Sen published a post on social media rejecting the news report’s findings, and demanding an apology from the news outlet. However, he subsequently rejected the apology letter that was published by VOD’s parent organisation the following day, which expressed regret for the confusion caused and noted that the VOD news report in question was quoting a government spokesperson. VOD also published a follow-up report on 12 February, noting that Hun Manet had asserted that he did not sign off the aid package on behalf of his father.

In a series of posts on social media, Hun Sen then announced that VOD’s radio broadcast operating license would be revoked, and accused the media outlet of attacking him and his son. The arbitrary nature of the forced closure violates Cambodia’s 1995 Press Law, which establishes a defined procedure in instances where an individual believes an article contains false information.

‘The arbitrary closure of one of Cambodia’s remaining sources of independent media sends a chilling message to independent voices across the country. This regressive measure is part of a pattern of repression that seeks to silence dissent and censor any criticism of state and government officials. PEN International calls for the immediate reinstatement of VOD’s operating license and for Cambodian authorities to ensure that independent media can operate freely in the country’, said Ma Thida, Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee.

VOD’s forced shutdown takes place in the run-up to Cambodia’s election which is due to take place on 23 July. Hun Sen, who has been Prime Minister since 1987, is likely to secure a seventh term in office without contest after the country’s primary opposition party was forced to dissolve prior to the 2018 elections. In recent weeks, leading figures of another opposition party have been targeted with politically motivated arrest and judicial harassment.

VOD’s forced closure has drawn international criticism, including statements of concern from representatives of the American, Australian, British, French, German and Swedish governments, and from the European Union Delegation to Cambodia. The arbitrary closure of one of Cambodia’s few remaining sources of independent news and media is just the latest example of the Cambodian government’s longstanding efforts to silence independent voices and undermine freedom of expression in the country.

In May 2022, the UN Human Rights Committee published its concluding observations of its most recent periodic review of the human rights situation in Cambodia, where it expressed its deep concern over persistent violations of freedom of expression by the authorities, noting its alarm over the closure of media outlets, the blocking of websites that criticise the government, and the use of criminal offences, including criminal defamation, to restrict freedom of expression.

Recent examples of the growing levels of repression in the country include the proliferation of new legislation, including the Sub-Decree on the Establishment of the National Internet Gateway, which gives the Cambodian government sweeping powers to monitor and censor online expression. In August 2022, the UN OHCHR published a report on the state of press freedom in Cambodia, noting that over 80% of the journalists who were surveyed as part of the report had been subjected to surveillance and that all had experienced some form of interference in carrying out their work.

The resulting chilling effect has had a profound impact on freedom of expression in the country, resulting in many choosing to self-censor to avoid criminal charges for expressing their critical views about government actions.

PEN International calls for the immediate reinstatement of VOD’s operating license, and for the Cambodian government to honour its constitution and international human rights obligations, particularly as a state party to the ICCPR, in ensuring that state legislation is not used to undermine freedom of expression in the country.

For further information please contact Ross Holder, Head of Asia/ Pacific Region at PEN International, Unit A, Koops Mill, 162-164 Abbey Street, London, SE1 2AN, Tel.+ 44 (0) 20 7405 0338, email: ross.holder@pen-international.org