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20 Cambodia by Nayana Jayarajan On 11 July, journalist Khim Sambo and his son, Khat Sarinpheata, were leaving the Olympic Stadium in central Phnom Penh, where they had been exercising. Sambo, a journalist with the Khmer-language newspaper Moneaksekar Khmer (Khmer Conscience), was shot twice in the back by a man riding a motorcycle. His son was shot a few minutes later as he cradled his dying father. Sambo died at the scene of the crime. His son died in hospital the following day. The investigation into their deaths has stretched over months, with police in Cambodia still maintaining they have no suspects. Meanwhile, allegations that Cam bodia’s chief of police is tied to the murders continue to grow. An article in the South China Morning Post refers to an article written by Sambo days before his murder, regarding losses run up by the police chief, Hok Lundy, at a casino near the Vietnamese border. It also quotes an independent investigator who suggests that the fact that the killers did not cover their faces during the attack indicates that they had no fear of reprisal. FBI investigators who were assisting Cambo - dian police in their inquiries left the country a few days after the South China Morning Post article was published, and have not made their findings public. Even though Khim Sambo wrote under a pseudonym and did not name the official involved in his article, journalists and civil society organisations in Cambodia fear that his opposition to the Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen gestures as the media try to ask him questions after he cast his ballot at a polling station during general elections in Takmoa town in Kandal province on the outskirts of Phnom Penh 27 July, 2008. (Reuters/Chor Sokunthea) ruling CPP party (Moneaksekar Khmer is allied to the opposition party, the SRP), and his critical articles may have been the reason for his killing. A month before Sambo’s murder, military police arrested the editor of Moneaksekar Khmer, Dam Sith, who also ran as an SRP candidate in the general elections in July, after the paper reported on allegations about the current foreign minister’s role during the Khmer Rouge regime. Although Sith was released after several days in detention and the foreign minister dropped his lawsuit against the editor, criminal charges of defamation and disinformation are still pending against Sith. The Cambodian government recently abolished prison sentences for defamation and libel, penalties that were once used to harass journalists. But disinformation convictions still carry three-year jail terms. Sith’s arrest came only days after the Ministry of Information ordered the closing of a provincial radio station, Angkor Ratha FM105.25, shortly after it leased air time to four political parties, but not the governing CPP. The murder of Khim Sambo and the other incidents of media intimidation took place in the months leading up to the general elections. The Cambodian As sociation for the Protection of Jour na - lists (CAPJ) said the attacks were timed to create a “climate of fear” among journalists and opposition members prior to the election. The attacks were timed to create a “climate of fear” among journalists and opposition members prior to the election The ruling party and its leader, Hun Sun, have been in control of Cambodia since 1997. Almost exclusive control over the state infrastructure and over the broadcast media ensured that the CPP would once again hold on to its majority in the 2008 elections. While it was widely expected that the CPP would retain control of the government, and levels of violence in this election were considerably lower than in previous years, the EU observer mission during the election nevertheless pointed out that thousands of voters were disenfranchised, and accused the ruling party of resorting to political intimidation. The freedom of the press was one of the first civil liberties to suffer in the hostile political climate that led up to the elections. The 11 political parties were not granted equal access to the media, with most of the electronic media outlets in Cambodia controlled by the CPP or other ruling forces. On 10 July, the National Election Commission (NEC) issued a warning to 13 television and radio stations for broadcasting biased coverage of the elections. Ten of those stations were dominated by pro-CPP coverage, according to the NEC. On April 29, Meas Asi, a reporter for Panhavorn Khmer (Khmer Intellectual), based in Koh Kong province, was allegedly stopped by police and beaten uncon-
A Cambodian boy listens to the radio after his family fled their home to take refuge in the disputed Preah Vihear temple. (Reuters/Chor Sokunthea) scious before being taken to Koh Kong prison. According to the Cambodian As - sociation for the Protection of Journal - ists, the assault may have been related to investigations carried out by Asi into a land dispute between 75 families in a village and a wealthy land owner. Asi’s wife, Sles Mass, was not allowed to visit her detained husband in prison. Freedom of the press was one of the first civil liberties to suffer in the hostile political climate that led up to the elections According to the International Fede - ration of Journalists (IFJ), land disputes and forced evictions are common in Cam bodia, and often accompanied by violence. The authorities often attempt to restrain the media from reporting on these evictions. Cambodia has been ranked the third most corrupt country in South East Asia, with millions of dollars of foreign aid never reaching the people for whom it was intended. Official interference in all aspects of civil society, and a thriving culture of impunity, continue to hinder Cambodia’s progress towards developing a free press. Cambodia in Brief Recommendations Bring to justice perpetrators of crimes against journalists Restrict government interference in the media Decriminalize defamation and disinformation Population: 14.2 million Domestic Overview: Following the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s and 1980s, Cambodia has struggled to regain some political stability. In recent years, reconstruction efforts have progressed and some political stability has finally returned to Cambodia. This new-found stability was shaken in 1997 by a coup d’état, but has otherwise largely been sustained. Cambodia is reputed to be one of the countries with the highest rates of corruption in the region, which has contributed to a widening economic disparity. Beyond Borders: The Cambodian government is working with bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank and the IMF, to address the country’s many pressing needs. Cambodia and Thailand dispute boundary sections with missing boundary makers and claims of Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory. The maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by an unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands. 21
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