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Cambodia
reverses ban on foreign radio programs
U.S. calls ban a serious infringement of press
freedom
The Associated Press / Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted: Jun 30, 2013
1:01 AM ET
Last Updated: Jun 30,
2013 1:57 AM ET
The U.S. strongly criticized Cambodia on Friday for banning
radio stations from carrying foreign-produced programming in the local Khmer
language during the campaign for next month's elections.
State Department
spokesman Patrick Ventrell said Friday that's a serious infringement of press
freedom and such restrictions call into question whether the July 28 vote will
be free and fair.
'Serious infringement'
The election is almost
certain to see Prime Minister Hun Sen, Asia's longest-serving leader, extend
his 28 years in power.
His government is already accused of harassing political opponents. The Obama
administration has said the exclusion of exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy
threatens the vote's legitimacy.
The directive, dated
Tuesday and signed by acting Information Minister Ouk Pratna, orders all FM
stations to stop rebroadcasting radio programs from foreign stations through
the monthlong campaign period that began Thursday, until election day. It
threatens legal action if they fail to comply.
"This directive
is a serious infringement of freedom of the press and freedom of expression and
starkly contradicts the spirit of a healthy democratic process," Ventrell
told reporters at the State Department. He urged the Cambodian government to
reconsider.
Radio Free Asia said
its Khmer service has been dropped by 10 stations. It called the directive
"the most sweeping and stunning frontal assault on media freedom in Cambodia
in recent memory."
Cambodians deprived of
critical news
Voice of America
also condemned it, saying it deprives the Cambodian audiences of critical news
and information on the election.
"These types of
balanced and informative broadcasts are needed more than ever during the
elections and we condemn any effort to silence the media," VOA said in a
statement.
Both of the
Washington-based networks are U.S.
government funded. They said they would continue broadcasts by shortwave radio,
satellite and on the Internet.