NGOs bell for jeopardy of the country’s freedom of expression

Phnom Penh (21 Feb, 2012): NGO workers on Tuesday publicly expressed their concerns over the country’s freedom of expression and freedom of the press while all the court levels are not independent causing citizens and journalists arrested and detained.

Speaking in a roundtable discussion on “Rights to Freedom of Expression” organized by Cambodia Center for Human Rights in Phnom Penh, Mr. Sok Samoeun Director of Cambodian Defender Project, said all levels of the Cambodian tribunal from the first, the appeal, and the supreme courts, including the Supreme Council of Magistracy, are so weak and judgments are based on their sensational illustration.

He, however, said many laws look fine but the law enforcement is completely different while Mr. Ou Virak President of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said expression on websites and facebook is more free.

Echoing Sok Samoeun, Am Sam Ath, senior investigator for the rights group Licadho, said his body has also concerned over access to information and that NGOs so far have no right to propose any draft law to the government as it said only the government can propose to the national assembly.

The discussion also focused on freedom of expression, privacy invasion on social media network such as facebook and blogs, including demanding to make some amendment of the current press law’s articles in order to have more access to information and freedom of the press.

A government official said it is the rights of NGO workers who can criticize the government and other institutions. “This is the freedom of expression. If the country has no freedom of expression and freedom of the press, those NGO workers cannot organize such roundtable discussion today,” he told Cambodia News. (Chhay Sophal/Cambodia News)