Southeast Asian MPs condemn shutting down of independent media outlet in Cambodia ahead of general elections

JAKARTA — Parliamentarians from Southeast Asia condemn in the strongest terms the shutting down of  the last independent media outlet operating in Cambodia, Voice of Democracy (VOD), regarded as the voice of millions of Cambodians, by the regime of Prime Minister Hun Sen and call on the Cambodian government to respect and uphold freedom of the press, especially at this moment, with the upcoming general elections scheduled for July 2023.

According to media reports, last week VOD published a story stating that Hun Sen’s son, Hun Manet, had signed on behalf of his father an agreement to provide earthquake aid to Turkey, quoting a statement from government spokesperson Phay Siphan. 

Hun Sen alleges that the story was false and  hurt the “dignity and reputation” of the Cambodian government, as Hun Manet, who is deputy commander of the country’s military, does not have the authority to approve foreign aid. VOD has apologized for the mistake, but the Prime Minister ordered the Ministry of Information to cancel VOD’s license.

“Shutting down an independent media outlet due to a single perceived ‘mistake’ is a blatant violation of freedom of the press. This is unacceptable in any circumstance, even more so when elections are set to be held in a few months’ time. Cracking down on a media outlet like VOD at the first opportunity not only serves to silence it, but also anyone else who might consider writing anything critical of the government. How can there be free and fair elections under such a climate of fear and self-censorship?,” said Mercy Barends, Chairperson of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and member of the Indonesian House of Representatives.

The shutdown of VOD is the latest in a long series of steps that the Cambodian government has taken in recent years to suppress criticism against the government. In 2017 and 2018, two independent newspapers, The Cambodian Daily and The Phnom Penh Post, were closed and bought out, respectively, after being hit by exorbitant tax bills. The government has also used articles in the criminal code, as well as COVID-19 regulations, to prosecute journalists and social media users that question or criticize government policies.

Besides the press, the Hun Sen regime has also cracked down on its political opponents, by arbitrarily dissolving the main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), in 2017 and more recently by threatening legal action and physical violence against the country’s remaining opposition parties.

“Hun Sen’s flagrant flouting of democratic principles and civil rights cannot continue to be left unanswered. ASEAN, and the global community in general, must denounce these authoritarian tactics and demand that the Cambodian government uphold freedom of the press and freedom of expression in order to create a climate conducive to a free and fair election.  Until the government allows independent journalism to flourish in the country, releases all political prisoners, and allows opposition parties to express their political views without fear of reprisals, any elections held in Cambodia will be just a farce,” said Barends.