Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan has summoned a student from the country’s top state journalism school for a meeting at his office after she used a post on her Facebook page to question the sense of a guest lecture he delivered last week.
Mr. Siphan on Thursday gave a speech on being a spokesman to a class of about 20 second-year students at the Royal University of Phnom Penh’s Department of Media and Communications (DMC) before opening the floor to questions.
The questions focused on the government’s tight grip on broadcast media, with one student asking why popular radio station owner Mam Sonando, who is openly aligned with the opposition CNRP, has been repeatedly refused television licenses.
“If you allow Mam Sonando to have a station for political reasons, you have to allow everyone,” Mr. Siphan replied to the student. “Not just CNRP—the LDP [League for Democracy Party], everybody. It’s not good for the audience because everyone is on their own side and…[it leads to] an atmosphere of polarization.”
Mr. Siphan also said that some journalists working in Cambodia are under the employ of what he termed foreign “special interests.”
“Some are called to come to be against the government as an NGO,” he said.
“A number of staff at The Cambodia Daily, we’ve learned—a few, not a lot—that they’ve been hired and provided money to do their jobs as missions to write and research,” Mr. Siphan said. “They’re not professionals of media. You get it?”
One student responded, “I’ve never heard about that.”
“Because you’re not the government,” Mr. Siphan replied.
After the lecture, a number of the DMC students took to social media to question the lecture, with one Facebook post drawing Mr. Siphan’s ire.
“I had no idea what the f–– he’s talking about!!! So f––ing mess up,” the journalism student, Teck Chan Rachna, posted after the lecture.
Mr. Siphan confirmed by telephone Sunday that he has called Ms. Chan Rachna for a meeting but said he only wished to clarify himself after the student’s confusion.
“I’m going to talk to one student now,” Mr. Siphan said. “The school asked me to come and so I volunteered my time to educate the students. They shouldn’t be rude.”
“They should have student ethics but they posted badly on Facebook and so I need to ask them questions,” Mr. Siphan said.
The government spokesman also threatened legal action if the source of the recording of his lecture was not disclosed.
“You have to tell me who gave you that one. I’m serious on that one or I will bring you to court,” Mr. Siphan told a reporter. “I need who gave you the transcript or you will be in trouble.”
“They did not ask me to record my voice, then they put it on Facebook. It’s abuse. If I think it damages my credibility, I could take it to court.”
“I was only trying to help them and they abused me,” Mr. Siphan said.
Mr. Siphan also declined to name the journalists the government had identified as being under the employ of foreign interests.
“I respect my sources,” he said.
Ms. Chan Rachna declined to comment Sunday on whether she would grant Mr. Siphan’s call for a meeting.
DMC director Som Ratana said Mr. Siphan’s request had been received by his assistant and passed on to the student. Asked if he felt a duty of care to stand in when a high-ranking official called a student for a meeting, Mr. Ratana declined to comment.
“I think maybe you can talk to her. I was not in the lecture and I feel I should not comment on that,” he said. “This is a professional thing between her and Phay Siphan.”
(Disclosure: An editor at this newspaper is currently employed as a part-time lecturer at DMC and a reporter on this article was previously employed at the school in the same position.)
11 comments:
His time will come because he never tell the truth and the people have an eye and ears. They know what going on . he blame some journalist serve foreigner .How about Hun sen government.Now more than 4 millions YUON are make a living in Cambodia freely and how many Hun sen said? He didn't see YUON but all khmer see that and soon later is keep that way Cambodia will be belong to YUON.
Ah Phai Sephan speaks from his tongueless butt hole and using his uncircumcised dick head to thinks! That's why he talks like a child,he didn't have any brain in his real head,it's full of AIR.Where is freedom of speech? Where is freedom of expression? Is Scamafia a communism state or democratic state? His boneless tongue can only twists and turns for the wrong reasons for his boss ah Kwaq agenda!.
This Mother Fucker has no value in our society. Where ever he goes, in Cambodia or abroad, do not respect this fucker when you see him. Spit in front of him if you can.
To me Ah Pie Siphan is worst than a house rat.
Siphan is an idiot,he doesn;t know what professional journalism is... the student should ask what is professional journalism...
does he even know what's coming out of his mouth...
thank you to the student for asking .
This fucker phay siphan has created his own problems and then blames other for his problems. This fucker should find another job other than his bought job from cpp hun sen.
This fucker is the most stupid idiot to these days.
Continuing from 13 May 2014 8:04 am
This fucker has done a lot of damages to Cambodian people lives and mine. He wanted to look good by having this cpp job, but he hurts himself and his own family. What a shame!!!
Phay Siphan lived in America for more than 10 years, but comes back to Cambodia as a jungle person.
He baked doughnuts in USA
អាឆ្កែផៃ សីុផានវាជាឆ្កែមួយដ៏សាហាវបំផុត សូមកំុភ្លេចអានេះមួយដែល អាក្រក់បំផុតក្នុងប្រវត្តិសាសន៏ វាសុខចិត្តធ្វើឆ្កែគេដើម្បីក្រពះនឹងអំណាច របស់វាបុ៉ណ្ណោះ វាជាឆ្កែមួយបំផ្លាញជាតិធំបំផុត អានេះធ្លាប់រស់នៅប្រទេស សេរីប់ុន្តែចិត្តវាជាតិរិច្ឆាន ខ្លួនវាមនុស្សប់ុន្តែចិ្តតិរិច្ឆាន ។
អាឆ្កែផៃ សីុផានវាជាឆ្កែមួយដ៏សាហាវបំផុត សូមកំុភ្លេចអានេះមួយដែល អាក្រក់បំផុតក្នុងប្រវត្តិសាសន៏ វាសុខចិត្តធ្វើឆ្កែគេដើម្បីក្រពះនឹងអំណាច របស់វាបុ៉ណ្ណោះ វាជាឆ្កែមួយបំផ្លាញជាតិធំបំផុត អានេះធ្លាប់រស់នៅប្រទេស សេរីប់ុន្តែចិត្តវាជាតិរិច្ឆាន ខ្លួនវាមនុស្សប់ុន្តែចិ្តតិរិច្ឆាន ។
This jungle animal phay siphan cant even speak English and lived in America for 10 years.
I bet he was deported back to Cambodia.
Post a Comment