Photo: AP
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Friday, 22 July 2011
VOA | Washington, D.C
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday sharply criticized Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, saying their news reports are "very inferior."
He accused the two broadcasters, both funded by the U.S. government under the Broadcasting Board of Governors, of distorting information, or containing "zero" information.
The prime minister made the comments in response to a question by a VOA Khmer Service journalist at a news conference in Cambodia. The question was about the Khmer Rouge tribunal, and Mr. Hun Sen said it was not among the topics to be covered by the news conference, which followed a meeting of his cabinet and was chiefly dominated by questions about Cambodia's border dispute with Thailand.
Mr. Hun Sen praised Radio France Internationale and offered to hire Cambodian staff at VOA and RFA to work at Cambodian news stations.
VOA responded to the prime minister's comments by saying, "VOA journalists around the world, including those covering developments in Cambodia, adhere to the highest journalistic standards of accuracy and objectivity, standards mandated by U.S. law."
The Cambodian government has opposed increasing the number of cases heard by the Khmer Rouge tribunal, a joint Cambodia and international court that is trying leaders of the Khmer Rouge, which ruled the country in the late 1970s. More than a million people died under the Khmer Rouge - many of them starved or worked to death, and others executed.
One person has been convicted by the tribunal and four others are being prosecuted. The government says adding more cases could be harmful to national stability.
VOA provides news in more than 40 languages via shortwave and FM radio, television, satellite and the Internet. RFA provides news to Asia.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors also oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
VOA | Washington, D.C
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday sharply criticized Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, saying their news reports are "very inferior."
He accused the two broadcasters, both funded by the U.S. government under the Broadcasting Board of Governors, of distorting information, or containing "zero" information.
The prime minister made the comments in response to a question by a VOA Khmer Service journalist at a news conference in Cambodia. The question was about the Khmer Rouge tribunal, and Mr. Hun Sen said it was not among the topics to be covered by the news conference, which followed a meeting of his cabinet and was chiefly dominated by questions about Cambodia's border dispute with Thailand.
Mr. Hun Sen praised Radio France Internationale and offered to hire Cambodian staff at VOA and RFA to work at Cambodian news stations.
VOA responded to the prime minister's comments by saying, "VOA journalists around the world, including those covering developments in Cambodia, adhere to the highest journalistic standards of accuracy and objectivity, standards mandated by U.S. law."
The Cambodian government has opposed increasing the number of cases heard by the Khmer Rouge tribunal, a joint Cambodia and international court that is trying leaders of the Khmer Rouge, which ruled the country in the late 1970s. More than a million people died under the Khmer Rouge - many of them starved or worked to death, and others executed.
One person has been convicted by the tribunal and four others are being prosecuted. The government says adding more cases could be harmful to national stability.
VOA provides news in more than 40 languages via shortwave and FM radio, television, satellite and the Internet. RFA provides news to Asia.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors also oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
3 comments:
Hun Sen is right to call out these lazy reporters. I don't understand why the U.S gov't waste taxpayers'money on this duplicate program. I can't find any significant news about Cambodia through RFA and VOA. Right now, technology plays as integral role of news media. If you type Cambodia in Google Search, you will find hundred news and if you want to watch recent news or TV, simply just to Youtube.
VOA and RFA should be shut down.
To be honest with you, I think Khmerization got instant news, better news, better forum, unbias report, it also assist the commentor with their comment without loosing the fact. Your comment will be published as long as it is not discrimination or inappropriate language. You can have different political views and they will publish it. I dont think they should eliminated RFA/VOA but those agencies should followed Khmerization. I stop going to VOA/RFA for news because their news is 1-2 days late and I found that their news are bias. Thier news reporter in salary spending time to put out article that slame Cambodia's government all the time. If you are going to do that to Cambodia's government, then you should also report the good news too. Dont just report the bad news. I remembered reading 4-5 pages article the RFA staff painting the picture of a coup for PM Hun Sen related to the conflict between CPP and Funcipec. It was not news rather oppinion and persuasion. RFA ensure that comment support the government will not be published or when the commentor scream too much, they will publish one or two. I place hundreds of comments but 1-2 were published because I have unbias oppinion. If I said something against PM Hun Sen, my comments were published instantly. Why? Every body know that RFA Khmer, support Sam Rainsy. This is Sam Rainsy domain. The comment delayed 1-2 days and they didnt screen the language either. This is why RFA/VOA is not the news station that I go for news. They are lazy, get pay salary from US government and work for Sam Rainsy.
The two comments I've read so far appear to be CPP supporters. I trust the professionalism and jouranlism standards both RFA and VOA have over the bias and censorship news in Cambodia. The news from Cambodia are controlled by the Hanoi-backed commi CPP. Their so-called news is a joke.
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