Cambodia’s TV stations to face legal action if play Thai movies

Heng Neang
Cambodia News & New Youth

Phnom Penh (4 Fe, 2014): Cambodian senior official of the Ministry of Culture has warned to take legal action against the country’s national TV stations for their airing Thai movies.

Thai Norak Sathya, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Culture, was quoted by VOD on Monday as saying if any TV station airs Thai film, it is contracted with the ministry’s order issued in 2003 and the ministry will take legal action against the TV.

On Jan 1, 2014, Cambodian TV station channel 5 under control of the Ministry of National Defense with joined venture from a Thai company has begun showing a video dramas at nights after all TV stations of the nation completely stopped airing any Thai movie since Feb 2003.

At least two Thai movies have been played for the first time after a group of Cambodian nationalists set fire to the Thai embassy and a few other businesses in Phnom Penh on 29 January 2003. A group of Thai nationalists also burned the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok the next day for their revenge, leading the two nations’ 50-year diplomatic relation to get break apart.

The riots were sparked after a report said that Thai actress Suwanna “Kob” Konying had said that Cambodia’s top cultural icon Angkor Wat temple belonged to Thailand and she would never visit Cambodia until the country gives the temple back to Thailand. Konying then denied making the comments.

Thailand then under Prime Minister Thaksin’s control asked Cambodia to pay for the damage estimated up to US$56 million.

Since then, no single Cambodian TV station out of the 12 Phnom Penh-based national TV stations has aired any Thai movie and replaced by American, Chinese, Filipino, Hong Kong, Indian, Korean (South), Singaporean, and Taiwanese movies.